Revenge
by Pla2nBJ
Summary: The final book in the Rise Trilogy after Revolution. This is it. The final chapter in our story. All that remains now is to have our revenge on the man who has caused us so much pain and suffering. We have had a long road with life, death, love and hatred at every turn. Now, we are at the end. But I can never bear to watch this next part. If only he didn't have to die...This is it.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello once again for the third time audience! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! I never thought I would get this far. I have wanted to write this book since March of last year when I started playing Assassin's Creed 3. This is gonna be huge! I advise if you have not read Rise or Revolution that you do, because there is a lot in here that will tie into everything in the other books. Anyways, here is the book you have all been waiting for, Revenge:_

**_Revenge_**

_A Flash From the Future, a Surprise, and Texting Words_

This is not happening. I am not about to die. I did not just alter the entire course of history. I did not just get shot with a freaking bullet. And I am not about to let them say goodbye. But of course... I am...

"Come on, can't this thing go any faster?!" Haytham yells from somewhere above me. Or at least I think from somewhere above me.

"We are going as fast as we can, father," Connor bites back just as fierce and angry as Haytham. His voice sounds far away and I can't seem to remember where we are.

My vision is blurry. Every part of my body feels numb all over but I keep feeling this intense pain in my middle section. I try to move to feel it with my hands, but I can't seem to move at all. I feel this weird hot sticky substance under my fingers which rest on the hard wooden ground I lay on that are on either side of my body. All the sights and sounds around me are melting into one big puddle in my throbbing head and I keep hearing shouting voices and this loud roaring sound I recognize but can't remember where from.

"Oh, shit," I hear Haytham's voice again, but this time it is much more clear. There's suddenly a surging pain that runs through my body that comes from my middle section again. I want to scream and I have the feeling someone is trying to stop the flow of the hot sticky liquid from continuing to come out. "Dammit, Riley!" I hear Haytham shout at me again. "You can't die! Don't you dare bloody leave us! You brought this back together! Don't you even think about letting go!" I think Haytham is crying or really sobbing over me but I can't tell because his face and everything about him is too blurry for me to be sure. I want to come out of this shock stage that I'm stuck in, but there seems to be no escape.

I try to focus on my surroundings instead of the gaping hole in my stomach. I smell the familiar scent of salt in the air and there's a strong wind that blows around me and a fresh spray of sea water splashes over me and I finally realize we must be back on the Aquila. My surroundings slowly begin to soothe me. _You know, I could do it. I could just let go and let the rocking of the ship move me to sleep. I would die happy. I only hope Connor and Haytham..._

"Come on, pick her up," A voice suddenly says above me. My hope of dying at sea vanishes when I feel strong arms carefully lift me from where I lay on the upper deck. They jostle me around causing more pain to my middle and I hear the breath of who carries me which is rough and their heartbeat is abnormally high.

I'm able to turn my head slightly and I smell the familiar sweet, woodsy scent of Connor and quickly realize it's him carrying me to wherever we are going.

"Hurry, Connor! She doesn't have much time!" I hear Haytham's scared and urgent voice again. "Which way is the manor?"

"Take a left ahead," Connor says quickly to Haytham. I then realize we made it back to the homestead. The feeling of Connor's deep chest that rumbles as he speaks calms me a bit.

Then, the moment comes too quickly; the three of us are bursting through the doors of the manor. The shouting and lots of quick movements only increases once we're inside. I can faintly hear Connor and Haytham shouting which is now joined by another male and a female voice.

There's suddenly another firm wooden surface beneath me along with a cold rush of wind as my clothes are ripped from my upper body. I feel the urge to scream and cry out. I want to get out of here. I only want Connor to hold me while I cry into his shoulder about this horrible nightmare I'm trapped in. But this is real life.

"Come on, Riley!" I hear Connor this time who is crying for me. "Don't leave me! I love you!"

I suddenly feel the lone tear slowly find its way down my face. I'm not crying because I'm about to die. I'm not crying for Connor. And I'm not crying because I'm scared. I'm crying because this is where Achilles was supposed to say, "I told you so."

_6 months earlier..._

"Okay, so there's OMG, LMAO, TTYL, XOX, LOL, WTF, WYD, BRB, and a bunch of others I can't remember. Oh yeah, I almost forgot ILY!"

"What does that one mean?"

"I love you."

"Well, I love you too but what does that one mean?"

"No, silly! It means I love you."

Connor chuckles at me as he looks down and continues to play with the blade of green grass in between his fingers. Then he looks up at me and grins, "Then ILY."

I giggle as I lean forward a bit more to press my lips to his soft and warm ones. Life could not get any better.

We lay on our bellies facing each other in the green grass outside the manor in the bright summer sunlight that pours through the canopy of trees above our heads. It's another beautiful day on the homestead and it seems only proper that we enjoy it outside. The air smells of pine and freshly cut wood along with a light breeze that blows through bringing the scent of fresh bread Prudence is making in her oven outside with it. Moments like these are what I love more than anything else in the world.

Slowly getting to my feet, I stretch, reaching up for the sky with my arms in the air. Connor gets up as well and swings his arms back and forth to feel them again. We have been lying like that for almost an hour, it feels nice to stand up and stretch.

I take Connor's hand and lace his fingers into mine and we begin to walk down the beaten trail through the homestead.

We are greeted by Warren and Prudence while they sit outside enjoying the day with their baby, Hunter in their arms. But once we walk by the church, Mayriam calls for us.

"Need your guys' help, if you have a second," she says to us with a smile.

I release Connor's hand and walk towards her and he follows. "What's up?' I ask.

I hear the fast footfalls before Connor does. So when Norris takes a running start out of excitement, he places his hand on Connor's shoulder.

"No wait, Connor!" But it's too late.

Out of habit and surprise, Connor grabs Norris's hand and throws him over his shoulder and into the ground at our feet and places his shoe on Norris's chest.

"My friends!" Norris says happily with a huge smile on his face despite the fact that he was just thrown by Connor.

"Norris! What are you doing?" Connor says quickly when he realizes who he just threw.

"She said yes!" Norris exclaimed from under Connor's foot as he looks at both of us still with a huge smile on his features.

Connor's face is priceless as he drops his jaw in surprise and smiles as he asks, "Myriam?"

"We are getting married!" Norris cries.

I stand beside Myriam just as shocked as I bring my hands to my face and smile while I turn away from Connor and Norris and quickly throw my arms around Myriam. "That's fantastic news!" I say happily. Myriam giggles as she hugs me back.

When we part, Myriam laughs as she says, "I told you not to tell him, Norris!"

Connor grins sheepishly as he helps Norris back to his feet before asking Myriam, "Is it true?"

"Yes!" Myriam says excitedly to Connor and I as Norris puts an arm around Myriam's shoulders.

"Oh, that's wonderful!" I say hugging both of them this time.

We suddenly see Father Timothy approach us. He looks to Connor and I, "So now that you two have been told, might I have a word? We have much work to do!"

"Of course! What would you have us do?" Connor asks a smile still on his face.

"Accompany me to the inn, I have business there," Timothy says as he gestures to the road Connor and I just walked. Connor and I nod before we follow. "Norris is a stickler when it comes to tradition," Timothy begins. "Myriam knows not where her father is and they were hopeful that you, Connor might act his part at the ceremony. And Riley," He looks at me. "Myriam was hoping you would be her maid of honor for the ceremony."

"I would be honored," I say to Father Timothy with a smile.

Then he looks to Connor. "What do you say, Connor?"

"What would I do?" He asks. "I am not familiar with colonial wedding customs."

"It means you will walk with her during the ceremony and give her to Norris as her father would." Father Timothy replies with a smile.

"I would be honored," Connor says as well.

"Wonderful," Timothy says happily. "On to other business! Our weddings are complex beasts and require many hands working together to execute. We'll need Warren and Prudence to provide food, Ellen to make the appropriate clothes, Big Dave to smith wedding bands, me to conduct the service and Oliver and Connine to host a banquet."

"That is a lot," I note as we continue to walk on.

"We'll start here," he gestures to the Inn.

"What color do you want your dress to be, Riley?" Ellen asks me as she holds out different colored fabrics of silks out to me.

"Umm," I say slowly as I examine the colors. Then I look to Myriam who is standing on a stool with her arms held out like a bird as Prudence takes her measurement. "What do you think, Myriam?"

Myriam chuckles. "It's you choice, Riley."

"But's it's your wedding," I say in protest.

She sighs. "If you're so picky, then pick something that goes along with my dress," she says as she looks down at the white fabric resting on a chair nearby that will soon be her wedding dress. "But add your own personal style to it, if it pleases you."

I sigh as I turn back to face Ellen. "I want those two," I say pointing to two different silks on either of Ellen's arms.

She grins. "This will be a dress to remember, won't it?"

I nod grinning at her before she sets aside the other fabrics.

"Can we do a little something different?" I ask Ellen.

She glances at me as she puts down another stool for me to stand on while she holds a tape measure in her hand. "What is that?"

I move to stand on the small wooden stool and hold out my arms like a bird as I speak. "I want to make the dress shorter and have no sleeves."

All the women in the room stop what they are doing to look at me in shock.

"You want to do what now?" Ellen asks me in surprise.

"I want my dress to be strapless and go a little past my knees in length," I reply calmly.

"But that is improper for a woman," Prudence says uneasily.

"So is wearing pants and boots, but I do that anyways," I say with a shrug as I gesture to my body that wears my black leather boots, jeans, black tank top, and my mother's old favorite large dark blue sweater. "And where I come from, it's normal."

"She does have a point, Ellen," Myriam adds backing me up. "If Riley wants to have it short and sleeveless, let it be. I want to see how this turns out.

The silk feels soft and smooth under my skin. A light breeze blows through the open window and cools my bare shoulders again. I look at myself again in the full body mirror Achilles and Connor cleaned for Myriam and I that was once in the basement collecting dust and mold. Achilles said that Abigail, his wife once used it. We are in the manor where we got ourselves ready in the study upstairs with the help from Prudence and Ellen who did our hair and makeup and helped us into our dresses.

My dress is white and red. Well, mostly white, of course to match Myriam's dress. It has a sweetheart top and a flowing white skirt that goes just a little past my knees like I asked for, and just only for me, I added a long red ribbon that is tied into a bow around my waist as my own personal touch.

Prudence was kind enough to do my hair. Strangely, I have rainbow streaks in my pale blond hair on the top of my head, for those of you who didn't know. My mostly left-side parted hair starts out in the front with a light faded red which blends into a light faded orange all the way down to the light pink that started growing within the last few years of my life. Most of my layered waves in the front of my face were left alone to rest in front of my eyes and the rest of the pale blond hair is braided into one long simple braid down my back then curled into a braided spiral bun in the back of my head along with the different colored flowers added in to match Myriam's hair.

I smile at my reflection. For those of you who don't know, my name is Riley Anderson. I am seventeen years old and I am an Assassin. I arrived here in the 18th century about a year ago by the Apple when it transported me on the night the world ended after I watched my parents die and I killed my first man that night along with dozens more. I try not to think about it too much. For the past twelve years of my life though, I have had these dreams about Connor, about his life and everything that takes place within it and the Revolutionary War. I ignited the Revolution at the Boston Massacre, I watched Connor die before my eyes and then through my decision, brought him back to life, I killed a man recently out of anger and hatred for the Templars and all they have done to the ones I love, I was hanged and still survived, I changed a man's heart so he wouldn't kill me or his own son, I don't know what lies before me now... all I know is that I am terrified.

My mind travels towards the situation at hand that has been nagging at the back of my mind ever since we got back from Monmouth. Much has happened since that day as well. I rescued a small boy named Connor, George Washington called upon us to discover a traitor in WestPoint who turned out to be Major General Benedict Arnold who got away, and only a week ago, I killed Nicholas Biddle in his own ship and Connor kissed me in front of everyone for the first time on the Aquila and it made me realize how much he truly loves me, and how much I truly love him.

The tides of war are turning. The Loyalists fall back beneath the advancing Patriot army, their hold on this land weakening by the day. But the Templars only seem to grow stronger. Though fewer in number, the threat they pose appears undiminished. Making matters worse, Washington chose to spare the life of Charles Lee. We are told he has taken refuge inside Fort George, and so our days are spent searching for a way to breach its walls. Of Connor's father, there is no trace. And he is glad of it. If we can be rid of Lee, there may still be a chance for reconciliation - and through it, peace.

"You look gorgeous, Riley."

I turn around to face the glowing Myriam. She looks way better than me, though. Her long brown hair is put up in a small bun with Prudence's specialty she did at her wedding by adding flowers into the curls of her hair like mine. Except she only put white flowers to match her white wedding dress that is long sleeved and drapes to the floor. It is a very colonial wedding dress that fits her well, but not something I could wear.

"Thanks, Myriam," I say with a small blush rising in my cheeks. "You look much more beautiful, through."

It's Myriam's turn to blush as she smiles while looking down at her dress. "I suppose everyone can look upon us today and see we are beautiful."

I grin and nod as I turn back around to look at myself in the mirror again.

We suddenly hear footsteps coming up the hall. The door opens and Ellen pokes her head in the doorway. "It's almost time to go, you guys ready?"

Myriam nods while Ellen looks at the both of us and smiles at our appearances. "Thanks, Ellen," Mayriam says. "Riley and I will only be a little longer."

Ellen nods. "Both Connors will be waiting outside for you two." With that, she quietly closes the door and as soon as her footsteps disappear, Myriam whips around and runs towards me.

"I can't do this, Riley!" She says quickly as she grips my arms and shakes me.

"Do what?!" I ask, once she releases me.

"Get married!" Myriam cries. "I can't do this." She sits down in a chair that was once pushed into the table in the middle of the room as she puts her face in her hands. "I'm no house wife," she mumbles through her fingers.

"Nobody thinks you are one," I assure her as I squat down beside her.

"That's what all this means, though," Myriam says through her hands again but a bit louder like she's trying not to cry.

I sigh as I try to find the right words to say to help her. Then, thinking like my mother, I say, "Norris means not to change you. He admires you for who you are. You need be nothing else. He has told me himself these words."

Myriam looks at me as she removes her hands from her face. "He did?" She asks me will a small smile.

I smile and nod at her. "He truly loves you like no one else can," I add. "You won't find anyone better than the man waiting for you at the alter in the church right now."

"Like you and Connor?" She asks me.

I think about that for a moment before I look at her and let a small smile form on my lips. "Like me and Connor."

"You look beautiful, Riley," Connor leans over and whispers in my ear as we stand outside the church, waiting for everyone to arrive.

I feel another blush rise in my cheeks as I smile. "Thanks, Connor."

"You two ready?" Myriam asks us with a glowing smile as she turns to look at us.

"Just as ready as you are," I say with a smile as I hand her the bundle of wild flowers Connor and I picked earlier this morning.

I feel a small tug on my dress. I look down and see little Connor smiling up at me. The ten-year-old reaches up and holds up a single bright red rose to me. I bend down to look him in the eye as I take the rose from him.

"Thank you, sweetie," I say with a smile as I ruffle his sandy blond hair and he smiles too. He has changed so much within the few weeks he has been here on the homestead. When I rescued him, he was terrified and weak. He had just watched his parents die before his eyes and lied so he could die with a different family so he wouldn't be alone in the end. Now, he smiles and laughs so much more, lives in the church with Father Timothy, and is the ring bearer for the wedding today.

There's suddenly a strong and warm hand on my bare shoulder. I look up as I slowly rise to my feet and look at Connor. "Can I add to that?" he asks me as he gestures to the rose in my hands before handing me a bundle of white roses.

My face lights up at this. I take them as I say, "Connor, these are beautiful." I bring them closer to my face and breathe in their sweet scent before tucking the small red rose into the center on the white ones. "Thank you." I smile as I look up at him.

Connor smiles back before saying. "And, one more thing." I give him a puzzled look. "Turn around," he orders me with a smile.

I roll my eyes as I giggle and turn around. The flash of something shiny and silver comes into my vision before I feel the coolness of a small object on a thin chain being clasped to my neck. I look down and the small, silver, coin around my neck. It has the Assassin's symbol engraved into the front and on the back is the word "Rise."

I turn around to look at Connor. "It's beautiful," I whisper as I throw my arms around his neck. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Connor replies, his voice soft. When I release to look at his face he says, "Big Dave had some silver left over and I asked if he would make something special for me."

I look down at the silver coin. "It's perfect."

"It's time, Connor and Riley!" Connor and I look at Myriam who is motioning for us to come towards her.

I look back at Connor. "It's time."

"It's time."

The entire homestead stands with smiling faces at us in the pews on either side in the church hall as I walk ahead of Myriam and Connor who have their arms hooked together, both Myriam and I holding our flowers with smiles on our faces.

When we make it to the alter where Father Timothy, Little Connor, and Norris stand, Connor and I step away, side by side as we watch.

After the words and vows were said, Father Timothy closed his book as Myriam and Norris put on each other's rings and said, "You may kiss your bride."

I smile and sigh as they lean in and happily kiss in front of everyone without a care in the world.

An hour later, we stand in the common area of the Inn after everybody has eaten and now chats happily among one another. Connor and I with our arms hooked together, weave through everyone, saying hello and receiving compliments on my dress and Connor's giving away of Myriam.

"Hello, Connor. Hello, Riley. Enjoying yourselves?"

Connor and I look to see Big Dave and Ellen who were once talking no have their attention given to us.

"We are," I say with a smile.

"It is nice to see everyone together and happy," Connor adds as we look around the room once again.

"Look at those two kids, it's a lovely sight," Big Dave chuckles as we turn around to look at Norris and Myriam dancing to the music in the middle of the floor. "Norris is one of my best friends and he couldn't have found a better woman. Proud of him."

"Sometimes people are just right for one and other," Ellen says happily. "Norris and Myriam are a match made in heaven."

"Or a match made by Connor and Riley, isn't that right?" Big Dave says with a chuckle.

I smile as I giggle and hold Connor's arm tighter. "We only helped Norris muster his courage. The rest came naturally."

"Connor? Riley? Could you come here for a moment?"

The two of us turn around and see Prudence calling us over to her.

"Hey, Prudence," I say when we approach her. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to tell you how much I love you dress, Riley," Prudence says with a smile as she holds Hunter in her arms. "I didn't think I would like it, but I must say you look beautiful."

I blush again. "Thanks, Prudence. That means a lot."

"Excuse me, everyone."

Everyone stops talking as we all look to the front and see Ellen stand in front of the fireplace with something green and white folded in her hands.

"Thank you, I won't keep you long," she promises. "I would like to present something to Connor and you all. I once said I'd find a way to show my gratitude for your courageous actions in my defense and this is what I give you today."

My mind travels back to a few nights ago when Ellen's ex-husband decides to pay her a little visit with his men who tried to break into her house. We all defended her bravely and sent away him and his men. Ever since then, she has said that she wants to repay us for our kindness.

Ellen unfolds the beautiful green, white, and blue flag. It reminds me of the Texas one except where it is normally red it is, blue and where it is normally blue, it is green with thirteen small yellow stars formed into a circle instead of one big white one.

"This flag is a symbol of our strength and unity and I would hope you'd all be proud to fly it high above your homes and shops," Ellen says to all of us. "I'll happily make one for each and every one of you if you so desire but this one is for you two, Connor and Riley."

I can't believe that it's dedicated to me as well. In reality, it should've been only Connor who got it. The two of us smile as we walk up to Ellen who has folded up the flag again and is handing it to us.

"Thank you," Connor says with a smile as he takes it.

"Thank you, Ellen," I say as well while I smile and grab one side of the flag.

Connor and I hold up the flag together above our heads for the entire homestead to see with smiles on our faces. They applaud us and smile back at us.

It is here in this moment, as I look around, I realize that these people took me in with all of my flaws and mistakes without hesitation. They are my family and Connor is the love of my life.

_I know… that was pretty long…. But I just kept adding and adding. I hope you liked it anyways. Well there you have it, the first chapter of Revenge. I can't wait to write this book, it will be my masterpiece that I get to share with all of you wonderful people. As always, rate, review, like, subscribe, follow, favorite, vote, note, share, reblog, comment, do whatever it is you fine people do in your spare time. Bless your face. Peace off!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey Interneters! Wow, like overnight you guys fell in love with Revenge! That's fantastic! Thank you guys! Anyways, I will try and post more chapters more frequently since I have not much to get in my way after January ends. But enough talk, Here is the second chapter of Revenge:_

_Pla2nBJ_

**_A Sickness, a Painting, and a Letter_**

It started with the couching, then the vomiting, then the coughing up of blood, then the high fevers, then the cold sweats, and now it's the can't get out of bed because he's too weak.

Achilles is dying. And I'm not ready.

A week after the wedding took place, it started. But I can't bear to tell Connor he's going to die soon.

We sit in the basement one evening waiting on Lafayette to give us our answer while Achilles only gets worse and worse upstairs under the care of Diana and Doctor White. I sit on the ground my back resting against the wall near the table that lies under the Templar pictures. I play with the small coin hung around my neck by a chord instead of a chain to keep it safe that Connor gave to me.

Connor stands in the middle of the training floor in front of the practice dummy as he too is struggling with Achilles' sickness. I hurt for him as he looks like he's ready to cry.

"Connor," I say slowly.

"Hmm."

"This will be hard, I know," I mumble. "But know that Achilles will still be here for you and me."

Connor looks up to face me. "But I cannot bear lose him," he says sadly.

"You have to," I whisper with tears pooling in my eyes. "It's then only thing that stands between you and finishing everything. If you have Achilles sick and weak in the back of your mind, it will weigh you down. You know this."

We suddenly hear the creaking of the old steps as Diana makes her way down into the basement towards us.

"Connor? Riley?" She asks looking at us. We turn to see her. "He's asking for you two."

I nod as I slowly get to my feet and Connor follows Diana and me up the stairs. This is going to be harder that I thought.

Connor lightly knocks on the door frame of Achilles' bedroom before entering.

Achilles looks up and sees us, and then he says, "Hello, Connor. Hello, Riley." He motions for us to come in. I feel the hot tears pooling in my eyes as I walk in. Connor is fighting them too as he pulls up a chair for himself and I sit in the one already there on the right side of Achilles' bed. "Come now, you two," Achilles chuckles lightly. "Your sadness won't sustain me any more than that fool woman's soups and potions... Tell me of your latest exploits."

I sniffle as Connor sighs, swallowing his tears before speaking. "Charles Lee has been exposed and the Patriots finally rid of him. They march now to secure the remaining cities that this country might finally be free."

"Then you two have won," Achilles says calmly. "The land and your people are safe. Yet you two seem troubled..." He glanced at me for Connor's anguish.

"Washington spared Lee's life," I mumble before I glance at Connor who is looking pissed at the mention of Lee's name.

"So long as he lives, all are in danger. The same is true for your father." He looks to Connor for a moment before continuing. "When you first came to me, you understood what had to be done. You as well, Riley." Achilles glances at me as he speaks. "Swore you two would see it through. If not for the Brotherhood, for your people - and all those threatened by the Templars."

"But with Lee gone, my father might..." Connor begins, as he looks up to face Achilles, the tears slipping from his eyes.

"Listen to me," Achilles says firmly as he places a hand on Connor's. "You two have not come this far to throw it all away over misplaced sentiment. Both men must die." It's my turn to let the tears fall.

"Ach... Achilles," Connor persists the pain in his eyes is too much for me to bear as more tears fall from his eyes.

"There is nothing more to discuss," Achilles says firmly before he gives one more hard cough before rolling over to fall asleep.

"Connor," I say as I place a hand on his shoulder. "It's gonna be okay. We have company."

Connor sniffles before composing himself. The two of us exit Achilles' room

Lafayette is leaning against a wall outside of the bedroom beside Diana.

"Connor! Riley! I came as soon as I could," he says quickly.

I nod for Diana to tend to Achilles once again and she gives me a small smile before leaving the room.

"Tell me you bring good news?" Connor begs Lafayette.

"The Comte de Grasse said yes," Lafayette says triumphantly. "You two need only join his fleet in Chesapeake Bay and they will serve as required. But what exactly is it you two intend?"

"It's better that we show you," I say as I lead the two men down the stairs into the basement.

Lafayette looks around our training room looking quite intrigued before Connor pulls out the scale map we made little while ago for this purpose.

"Charles Lee may have been dismissed, but it does not mean we are safe," I begin as I flip the map to show the district Fort George rests in.

"But the Commander –"Lafayette begins.

"The Commander underestimates the threat and no more time can be wasted trying to convince him otherwise," Connor interrupts, "We must do this on our own."

"Do what, exactly?" Lafayette asks looking puzzled.

"Kill Charles Lee," I reply simply.

"He hides within Fort George, which is itself," Connor says as he points to the small fort. "Surrounded by a militarized district. We cannot hope to infiltrate it directly - so I will go under instead."

I flip the map to show the underground version of the city.

"Incroyable," Lafayette mumbles.

"The tunnels leading to the fort have been filled in," Connor continues. "While we secure the Admiral's ships, we need you to clear them for us."

"And the ships?" Lafayette asks.

"When signaled, they will bombard the fort," I say.

"Breaching its walls and creating a distraction. I see!" He says with a grin, liking our plan.

"In the chaos, we will slip inside, find Charles Lee - and silence him forever."

….

An hour later after Lafayette has left; Connor and I are in the kitchen making dinner for the three of us. I have to make soup since it's the only thing Achilles can eat. Lafayette told us that we had two weeks before the fleet would be ready for departure. That means we have a little while to prepare since the Aquila needs some repairs since the last voyage.

Connor sits at the small table in the center of the kitchen as he plays with the spoon I need to use to stir the soup. He has a bored and blank expression on his face as he stares at the old wooden spoon. I don't blame him; this will be a tough time for us.

I lean over to pluck the spoon from his fingers after adding some more pepper to the boiling pot. Connor sighs as he leans back in his chair and looks up at the ceiling.

"What are we going to do, Riley?" He asks out of the silence as I continue to stir the hot liquid on the pot around.

"What do you " I ask calmly as I'm fighting tears again.

"About Achilles," Connor says as he looks over at me.

"I don't know," I whisper so quietly that I'm not even sure I said it. I feel the tears slip out of my eyes again. But I let them fall.

I didn't even hear him get up when I feel Connor's strong arms around my waist. He rests his head on my right shoulder. This causes me to completely relax again as I sigh and let the tears continue to fall.

"We can do this, Riley," Connor finally mumbles after a few minutes of calm and soothing silence between us. "I love you." He reaches up and kisses my temple.

"I love you too."

...

It only seemed to take Achilles a few days to be back on his feet again to resume his life. He walks around the homestead again and sits on his rock overlooking the bay while he reads or writes in his book.

Connor and I are a little more at ease and can enjoy ourselves again. Most afternoons, we spend outside. I normally play with little Connor while my Connor will throw the ball around for Desmond, our gray Great Dane that was once a guard dog for the British Army. Then one day, he just decided to leave and found his way here. He's been living on the homestead in the manor ever since.

But today, I sit inside on the couch in front of the fireplace with Desmond's big head in my lap while I stroke it as he sleeps. I hum quietly to myself as I stare at the empty space above the fireplace while recalling the events of the past year and then the ones to come.

There are so many things I want to tell Connor, but I just can't do that. It's not right for him to know these things. I've already messed with history too much. But all these things have been nagging at me for the past six months since we parted with Haytham. I don't want to watch it happen again. But it will be for real this time…

I blink a few times to shake the memories from my head. Then I rise to my feet. I could use some air. As I leave the main room and walk down the hallway to exit the manor, I see Achilles looking at the stuffed eagle he has in his room just at the front of his bed. I step into his room unannounced.

"It's beautiful, old man," I say with a smile as I stand behind Achilles.

"It is," Achilles agrees as he turns around to look at me and then proceeds to speak as he slowly walks out of his room. I follow. "I've found a painting for the space above the mantel. It's being held in New York. If you get a moment, I'd like you and Connor to pick it up for me."

"Certainly."

"Good - it may not be there as the house where it was stored lay in the path of the great fire. If so, worry not," Achilles motions for me to go on and find Connor, wherever he is.

"We won't let you down," I say with a grin before I quickly leave the manor.

I look overhead and see that the clouds threaten rain. I sigh, Achilles wants his painting now, and we will get it for him now, rain or no rain.

I find Connor by the stables brushing down a brown horse I started calling Missy because I kept calling her that instead of her real name.

"The old man wants us to go get a painting for him," I say as I walk up to Connor.

"Now?" Connor asks as he looks up at the dark and cloudy sky.

"Yes now," I say with a chuckle. "Now, saddle up, and get ready. We ride for New York."

...

It only takes us about five minutes to get everything ready before we set off into the frontier for New York which is about a three hour ride by horse but oddly a day's ride by boat. But unfortunately for us, the rain has begun and it has started to pour with thunder and lighting and everything. Just great...

"Now where did Achilles say this painting was?" Connor asks me as we wander through the streets of New York where the Great Fire once took place and burned through a good portion of the city.

"Somewhere in one of these houses," I say as we look around at the remains of burned and charred buildings.

"Then I suppose we should start climbing," Connor shrugs as he takes a running start to scale a wall and begin to climb up the side of the building.

"He'll kill himself," I hear a colonist mumble to himself as he watches Connor climb.

I laugh as I do the same but with less awkwardness; I climb up the wall to follow Connor who has disappeared into one of the remains of a window.

We walk along the lines of broken buildings and houses as we finally see the only building in the area that seems to have taken the least amount of damage from the fire.

Connor and I climb through one of the windows that have no trace of glass that could cut us. We balance ourselves on the wood and metal foundations of the building and begin to look around on were the painting might be.

"There," I say as I point to the wall with the wood boards in front of it at the bottom where there seems to be a hole cut there.

Connor beats me to the small ledge that still stands within the building. "It would have burned had it not been here," Connor notes as he kneels down to pull away the wood.

"Achilles will be pleased," I say as Connor hands me the painting which is wrapped in a thick cloth and tied together with a thin rope.

I tuck it under my arm as the two of us climb out of the window nearby and back onto the quieter streets of New York as the storm rages on and the night darkens the city.

...

Once we're back at the manor, soaking wet in our heavy Assassin robes, Connor and I find Achilles dozing off in his chair at his desk with an unfinished letter written out on in front of him.

"We have the painting you sent us for," I say as we walk up to him and I lean it against his chair. Achilles shudders out of his slumber to look at us.

"Would you like some help hanging it?" Connor asks kindly.

"Maybe not just yet," Achilles says as he looks up at us with weak eyes.

...

My throat feels raw and I shudder as I sit up so fast, it hurts to breathe for a moment. I feel like my heart is going to burst through my chest and I have to remember it was only just another dream.

The rain outside has calmed into a light drizzle outside my window and the candle I lit earlier is still burning beside my nightstand continues lights my quiet room. It's still pretty dark outside so I can only assume I didn't get much sleep after we got back from New York.

I shiver in my black tank top I wore to bed as I slowly push away my blankets to rest my feet on the cold wooden floor and rise to get out of bed. I drag myself over to the chair beside my window and pick up the oversized white shirt that rests on it. It was once Connor's till I finally kept wearing it until he just gave it to me. Still, I make him wear it often enough so it will smell like him.

As quietly as I can to not wake Connor, I walk down the dark hallway and down the creaky wooden stairs and plan to walk into the training room in the basement when I see Achilles staring at the empty space above the fireplace with the painting we retrieved that is still wrapped up but leans against the wall near him.

"What is it, old man?" I ask Achilles glancing down at the painting even though I already know what it is as I approach him hugging myself for warmth.

Achilles turns around to face me. "Just an old painting," Achilles says with a shrug as he leans on his old cane looking up at me.

"I've gathered that much," I say with a small smile. "Why won't you open it?"

"It is something close to me," Achilles replies. "Something that I can't bear to look at just yet. Perhaps someday I will muster up the courage to gaze upon it again, but not yet."

I nod. "I understand. And with that, I bid Achilles good night and slowly trudge back up the stairs to join Connor in his room. I could use the comfort.

….

"Come on, is that all you got?!"

Connor looks over his shoulder at me and grins. "Trust me, I am holding back for your sake."

I narrow my eyes at him as I pick up another arrow and load it into my bow. Then, without hesitation, I aim the arrow without taking my eyes away from Connor when I release it.

Of course, it hits its target perfectly in the middle right beside Connor's that is just barely off the exact middle.

I look away from the target and then turn to look up at Connor with a triumphant smile on my face. "Beat that."

Connor wipes sweat from his brow before he kneels down and picks up another arrow as he grumbles to himself.

I laugh as I set my bow in the grass beside him before I turn away from the small target range Connor and I made so we wouldn't be indoors where it's all hot and humid. I start walking up the hill.

"Where are you going?" Connor calls after me.

"To get some water, you want some?"

He grins before nodding.

I continue up the hill towards the manor. The shade and coolness of the room brings relief to my hot and tired body. I'm thankfully smart enough to not be wearing my black Assassin's robes in this heat. Instead, I wear my black leather boots and a pair of dark brown pants Ellen made for me along with a white shirt that actually fits me also from Ellen who gladly helped me make somewhat of a wardrobe to wear on the homestead.

I turn to walk into the kitchen when I see Achilles sleeping in his chair again. With a letter in his hand...

"Old man," I say as I walk into his room. He doesn't say anything or move at all. I bite my lip as I approach him. "Achilles," I say as I shake his shoulder. His hat falls off of his head and the only movement he makes is when I shake him hard enough for his head to rest on the other shoulder.

I don't let the tears fall until I reach over and take the folded letter in Achilles' hand. I can't do this. I'm not ready... I will never be ready...

_Wow... this hurts my heart... I hate to say that it gets worse but it will also get better. But anyways, next chapter should be out soon. Love to all and as always, rare, review, subscribe, follow, favorite, like, comment, vote, do whatever it is you fine people do in your spare time. Bless your face! Peace off!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Hey Interneters! Sorry for such a sad cliffhanger. This chapter is really short but I wanted to devote only this chapter to Achilles' death and so I plan on releasing two chapters today since I hope that you guys want some action as well. Anyways, here is the third chapter of Revenge: _

_Pla2nBJ_

_A Few Roses, a Drawing, and a Painting_

I drop the letter in my hands after I have read through it. I let the tears spill from my eyes as I look at Achilles' body with trembling fingers as I whimper and stare at the man who gave me a home, who has been there for me like a father, and the only person who has been there to look after me when I needed it the most. Besides Connor, that is.

I suddenly hear the front door of the manor open and shut. "Riley? Where is my water?"

I hear Connor's footsteps as he walks into the kitchen but doesn't fine me. Then he looks in Achilles' room and sees me.

"Riley?" He asks as he approaches me and the dead Achilles. He looks to me and then to Achilles and then back to me before looking down and bending over to pick up the letter.

I let out a few shaky and whimpered breaths as I look up at Connor who has tears in his eyes as he looks up from the letter.

"I'm not ready," I whimper before Connor drops the letter and pulls me into his strong arms. "I'm not ready," I sob into his chest. "I'll never be ready."

"Shh," Connor whispers as he holds me as I sob into his chest and grip his arms as the tears slip from my eyes. "It was his time," he says with a shaky voice as he strokes my hair and encases me in his embrace.

"We... we need to go tell Father Timothy," I finally breathe after my sobs and cries have stopped and my body is dry of tears. We still stand in the middle of Achilles' study while Connor still holds me while trying to stay strong for my sake.

"Okay," he finally whispers.

The walk to the church is much harder than any walk I have ever taken. So much harder than the walk I took through the field when I was dumped in the 18th century. Harder than the walk I took up the steps to be hanged with Connor in front of all of New York. And even harder than the walk Connor and I took after Connor killed his best friend.

"What is it?" Father Timothy asks us when we approach him in the church. Little Connor emerges from a room with curious eyes.

"Achilles has passed," I say to him as I fight crying again.

"I'm so sorry, you two," Father Timothy says as his face drops into sadness as he places a hand on my shoulder.

"He passed peacefully and with dignity," I say as I sigh and try to compose myself for Little Connor and Timothy.

"A service then?" Timothy asks as he looks to Connor.

"Yes," Connor says. "Please prepare something... appropriate. I will see the grave is dug. Can you gather everyone?"

"Of course," Timothy says as he gestures to the door.

...

I look out the window in my bedroom upstairs as I sit on my chair as the rain falls as Connor stands in the dirt with a muddy shovel in his hands while he digs.

My fingers curl tighter around the letter Achilles wrote us. I watch Connor as tears spill down my eyes as I recall the letter once more:

_Connor, Riley, if you are reading this, I have failed to say goodbye as I wanted, but the time never seemed appropriate. I leave this land and all its resources to the both of you. I trust you two now know this place has become something of great significance. A community to serve as an example of what this would-be nation could become. But the larger and stronger it grows, the more fragile and difficult to defend it becomes. I hope your friends who are birthing this infant country understand this truth. The unwavering tenacity and honesty I have burdened you two with responsibility far greater than any one person should bear. But you two, if anyone are capable. You both have given an old man hope that all is not lost and for that I thank you. I ask that you lay my bones to rest on the hill overlooking the water, there is no other place on this earth I'd rather be. I am grateful to have met you two, knowing you will guide this land and these people to a better future. Yours in brotherhood, Achilles._

I sigh as I lean my head back on the soft cushion of my chair. Why does this have to happen?

The entire homestead gathers around the large wooden coffin with one of our flags wrapped around it. Everyone else holds a white or red roses and stands around the hole in the grave while Father Timothy stands on the other side of the tombstone. Connor and I hold different objects in our hands as he stand aside to say our own goodbyes. I allow the tears to fall as like the rain that falls around us in sheets as we stand and look down at our feet to try and hide that pain.

"Prayer and sermon do not suit this occasion," Father Timothy begins. "Achilles was not a man of God. Not my God, at any rate. But he certainly believed in a guiding force, and he is at peace now and for that we can be grateful. We lay him to rest here, atop the bluff where he made his honorable and dignified life, so he can remain that comforting presence - the old man on the hill - that we have all grown to depend on. You all had your own relationships with him, your own moments and I implore you to return here when the time is right for you and share those stories with the waves and the trees. Achilles. You will be missed but never forgotten. Go safely, old man, safely to where your soul need rest."

As Timothy finishes, the other toss their roses onto his grave with sadness and slowly walk away with their heads down. Connor and I stay.

The two of us step forward together and drop Connor's white eagle feather and my first drawing of Achilles I ever did of him when I was fifteen.

"We will make you proud, old man," Connor and I say together.

...

A day later, after the grave has been filled in, I approach his grave, alone and slowly take a seat in front of the fresh, dig up earth. I sigh as I tuck a few strands of pale blond hair behind my ear. The warm summer breeze blows through the air and soothes my aching heart.

Taking a shaking breath, I speak, "I never properly said goodbye to you. I was not ready. I'll never be. So here I am. The weight of our responsibilities never seems to diminish. There is always something else that needs fighting for. This is something you never warned us of, maybe because you thought we would have been deterred - you would have been wrong but we know you were not accustomed to that. You knew I already knew everything from the start, I admire you for keeping it from Connor. I know you loved him like a son, but you never took much care in telling him. Life carries on here. The people seem happy - they are are certainly safe, at least for now. One of our brotherhood asked me something I have been struggling with, what happens if - when - we win? When we stop the Templars? It is a question I certainly do not know the answer to, perhaps you did not either. We miss you. As Connor misses his mother and occasionally, his father. But he would never own up to it. He too, misses the family he never got. I hope all is well with you, wherever you are. Goodbye, Old man, until it comes time for me to join you - then we will bother you once again."

_I know right, pretty depressing. Anyways, I promise the next chapter will have some action and adventure you all love about Assassin's Creed. That chapter will come out immediately after this one. Anyways, love to all! As always, keep cool, like,vote, favorite, subscribe, comment, review, rate, note, share, reblog, do whatever it is you fine people do in your spare time. Bless your face! Peace off!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Hey Interneters, omg, I hope you wonderful people have enjoyed my chapter spree. Sorry it's been a while since I last posted. I wanted to post two chapters today because the one before this one is very depressing and slow and short. So I wanted to make sure you guys had some action for the week. Also on a side note, this is only for my FanFiction followers: to the person that keeps leaving me long thoughtful reviews on my chapters, all I have to say to is, you have now idea what is in store, and also, I love my story just the way it is. I don't want to change a single thing about it. Anyways, here is the fourth chapter of Revenge:_

_A Judgmental Captain, Another French Accent, and a Couple Blown Up Ships_

"NO! DON'T KILL HIM!" I thrash and scream and I sit up. "DON'T DO THIS! THERE IS ANOTHER WAY!" I scream until my throat is raw as I watch the scene unfold again in my mind. I no longer feel the weight of Haytham on top of me as I'm driving my hidden blade into his neck and now I only feel the thin blankets that cover my body.

I guess I never mentioned that when I have my visions and dreams about the past, I always have them from Connor's point of view. But they are always so real, it's like I'm actually there. Feeling everything he feels and seeing everything that I can't bear to watch anymore.

"RILEY! Calm down!"

I feel somebody trying to grip my body, but I shove them away as I keep my eyes tightly closed to keep from seeing the blood that rests on my uniform and hands. I continue to stare at Haytham's dead body with a pain I can't describe growing inside me.

"Riley, wake up! It is a dream!"

Whoever has me won't let go and I feel as I am losing energy as they hold me tighter. "No," I whisper, very breathless. "He can't kill..." I trail off as I finally come back to my senses and open my eyes.

Connor's big golden brown eyes are all I see as I tremble with shock and fear that my dream is real while looking at him. Slowly, my swimming senses and emotions, stop and I remember we are back on the Aquila sailing towards Chesapeake Bay.

"Can you hear me, Riley?" Connor asks me as he holds my face in his large hands so I will look at him.

I nod as I continue to shake and whimper. "I... I wish this nightmare would stop," I whisper.

Connor continues to look at me with concerned eyes as he slowly pulls me into his firm and warm chest. "It will be okay," he says back as he strokes my hair.

We pushed our beds together again since Connor still feels the need to make sure I am okay with everything that has happened to us lately. I enjoy the company while I sleep but sometimes I feel as if I am a nuisance to him.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Connor breathes after several minutes of silence between us after he has laid us back down on our beds. I thought he had fallen asleep on me.

"Later," I breathe as I snuggle closer to him. "I want you to discover for yourself what is happening to me."

...

"Lafayette promised me a fleet beyond compare, and two captains without peer! Instead I find myself greeted by one old ship, a little girl playing dress-up and a boy in costume!"

I clench my fists at the fancy French dude in front of us. "I promise we are all you need, Admiral," I say through my clenched teeth.

The man chuckles down at me. "I doubt this very much. But beggars do not choose, hmm?"

"And the ships we require?" I ask.

"They are yours... provided we survive this," The French Admiral replies.

"And what would you have us do?" Connor asks the man.

"Hold the bay while I engage the main fleet. Should any British ships dare approach, destroy them! They must be kept from Yorktown."

"Easy enough," I say before Connor and I slowly walk off of the Admiral's ship and back to the Aquila.

As we take to the high seas in the Chesapeake Bay, we are followed by two other frigates that will aid us in defending the bay. There's silence between the crew and the upper deck as we approach the nearby targets coming for Yorktown.

Then we are suddenly approaching what looks like a ship graveyard for all the brave ships that tried to fight against the British but didn't make it. What were once magnificent vessels that sailed the open seas without fear, are now charred and fiery remains of wood and rope that once was.

"Herod all handsaws!" Mister Faulkner exclaims as he points to the remains of a sinking ship. "Hell has manifest upon the sea. How many do you reckon?"

"Too many," Connor mutters as he keeps his eyes on the ocean in front of him.

"If anyone can hold the line, 'tis us," Faulkner adds. "I only hope the Admiral's quick to return."

"Enemy approaching!" a gun officer shouts as he points to the two British frigates sailing our way.

"Battle stations, men!" I shout to the crew as I stand over them on the captain's deck.

"Alright, boys! Make ready for war!" Faulkner shouts to the crew which receives shouts and cheers of approval from the men.

"Looks like they're coming to say 'hello,'" I say with a grin as I stand beside Connor at the wheel.

"Ready yourselves!" Connor shouts to the crew as we approach a small cluster of sloops surrounding a huge frigate. Connor turns the Aquila towards them as they advance on one of our allied ships.

"FIRE!" I scream and the cannons fly into three of the five sloops guarding the frigate. They sink the ships easily and we proceed to help out our ally.

We finish off the sloops and take off after the frigate that has turned on our other ally ship. But it's too late to save her.

All of us slowly watch the ally ship sink into the ocean waters.

"She's breaking up!" Faulkner cries. "We're down a ship. Take care..."

"We'll be fine, guys," I assure the men. "We can do this." But my heart continues to sag as I watch the ally ship sink from view.

But I don't have time to worry. Suddenly, the Aquila is shaking and I have to grip the railings of the ship to keep from falling as we are attacked by another enemy ship.

"We're under attack! Man-of-war's firing!" Faulkner shouts to Connor from his position near him at the wheel." "Our guns are down. We've no way to defend ourselves now!"

Connor calls for fire on the man-of-war again just before they can fire at us again.

"That beast is sure to sink us if we're not careful," Faulkner continues. Then he turns to look and as me, "He's not really planning to board them is he?" He points to Connor "Has he lost his mind? He's going to get us all killed..."

"No, he won't," I see when we have taken out the main masts on the man-of-war. Then I get another one another one of my brilliant ideas. I run over to Connor's side. I whisper something I his ear. He looks at me and grins with a nod.

Connor turns the Aquila straight towards the man-of-war. "Get ready, Riley," Connor says as he braces himself for impact.

I nod with a grin to Connor before I take of in a dead sprint down the lenght of our ship just as we are making a painful collision with the man-of-war.

With careful balance and speed, I'm able to run and jump while pressing the front of my palms into the wood of the Aquila to do a frontflip on to the other ship.

I quickly grabbed a fallen musket and aim to shoot at a nearby soldier. I usually take him out before dropping the gun and and bending backwards quickly to avoid being sliced by an incoming sword.

Using my left in blade, I stab the man in the stomach who tried to kill me with his sword before rolling to the side to get out of the way of a bullet that was shot only seconds ago.

I soon find myself surrounded by red coats with guns; but I don't panic. I simply grin as I pull out my own pistol aim at the pile and stack of multiple gun powder barrels.

The moments my gun fires, I'm sent flying backwards by the impact of the blow. The red coats who were smart, ran off before I shot my gun but the stupid ones were killed or knocked unconscious when it blew up.

I find myself landing in a pile of broken bits of wood and debris from the ship. quickly snap out of my daze and I pull myself back to my feet and take off sprinting towards the Aquila again.

Connor did as I asked and was able to move the ship out of the way of the blow at just the right angle and timing so I could land on the top deck.

I sail through the air for a moment before I roll forward to break my fall when I land on the upper deck of the Aquila. When I'm back on solid ground I find my hat has rolled of my head and I've been caught in the arms of a very shocked Connor.

"Thanks," I breathe as he pulls me back to my feet.

"You mad bastards!" Mister Faulkner laughs as he walks up to us.

Connor and I smile as I put my hands on my hips and look around at the damage we've done here. "Well, I'd say that we've done our part I the Battle of Chesapeake Bay."

Connor chuckles. "You can say that again."

...

"They say you took down the man-of-war all alone," The Admiral says to me with a shocked but small grin. "Perhaps Lafayette did not exaggerate when he spoke of your abilities. As promised, my ships are yours to command. What do you require?"

Connor shifts in his captain's uniform as we stand on the Admiral's ship before he speaks. "Five of them must enter New York's harbor, flying British flags."

"Wait, wait," The Admiral says quickly. "I thought you might need some pirates killed or goods transported... And instead you ask for us to, what, shell New York?"

"No," Connor says calmly. "Of course not."

"Ah..."

"Only part of it," I add.

The Admiral turns sternly to look down at me. "Explain yourself."

"We mean to infiltrate Fort George," I begin slowly. "But it's too well-guarded. Cannon fire will breach its walls and scatter its guards."

"And a ship that flies the French flag could never get near it..." The Admiral says slowly.

"You understand it, then?" I ask hopefully.

"Not at all," he shakes his head at me. "But a promise is a promise - even when made to two lunatiques."

I grin. "I will light a signal fire when it is time for you to attack."

The Admiral nod before he turns away to call to his men in French as Connor and I walk hand in hand back towards the Aquila.

_Sorry for the long wait I have a lot to do the past few weeks but now it's finished and I hope you enjoy these last two chapters. These next couple ones coming up are going to be huge that's all I'm going to say. As always like, comment, favorite subscribe, follow, favorite, share, reblog, do whatever it is you find people do in your spare time. Bless your face. Peace off!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Hey Interneters! It's great to be back writing again. I've been so busy for a while that I haven't been able to pick up my pen and write. Anyways, I'm glad you guys liked the last few chapters. It was fun and hard to write them and right now I have to say this that these next two chapters are gonna be HUGE! I have written, revised, rewritten, scratched, and completely redone this section over and over for the last year. It has been the prime reason I chose to write this story. And now, here it is. I have to say that you guys will not really like the ending of this chapter. But I will. Also, I'm gonna have to alternate the point of views throughout the chapters so it will be obvious when I so but this symbol - - will be shown for each transition. So that's all I have to say. Anyways, here's the fifth chapter of Revenge:_

_ The Last Arrow, A Signal Fire, and The Fight of a Lifetime.  
_

"Hello, Connor! Hello, Riley! Welcome back."

"It's great to be back, Stephane," I say with a smile as I lean forward to hug him after we've gotten off the Aquila which is on the far side of New York away from the firing.

"Is everything ready?" Connor asks Stephane after I've released him from my I-missed-you-so-much-hug.

Stephane nods. "Oui. Lafayette waits for you inside the tunnel beneath the city."

"Great," I say. "We'll meet you there."

….

"Eww, eww, eww, eww, eww," I whine as we walk down the cold, slimy, smelly, wet, stone cold walls of the underground tunnels. "This is so gross." I grip Connor's arm that isn't holding the dimly glowing lantern and squeal as a big fat rat runs past my boot. "I wanna get out of here. I don't do closed in places."

"You are going to be fine," Connor chuckles.

"No," I whisper. "I won't." I look down sadly as I fight tears again. I need to make sure he's going to be okay. "Wait," I say quickly as I grip Connor's arm tighter to stop him in his tracks.

"What is it?" Connor asks as he looks at me.

I slowly reach over and take the lantern from his hand and set in on the ground. Then, I reach up and snake my arms around his neck and press my small body against his firm warm chest and close my eyes. I feel Connor's arms slide around my waist and he holds me close.

"What is it, Riley?" Connor asks me softly.

"I just need to make sure you're gonna be okay," I whisper as I fight the tears pooling in my eyes. I don't want him to die. Please, Lord, don't let him die…

Connor removes his hands from my sides and brings them up to hold my face to look up at him. "Nothing is going to happen, Riley," he says to me softly. "I am going to kill Charles Lee and we will end this threat when we find my father as well."

"No," I say to Connor. "It can't end like this."

"Like what?" Connor asks.

I'm silent. I can't tell him.

Connor realizes this and slowly leans down and presses his lips softly to mine and that's when I let the tears flow.

….

"Sometimes I worry..." Stephane's voice floats down the hallway towards Connor and I as we continue to walk down the dark and endless stone walls of the underground New York. "That these Patriots - for all their talk of liberty and equality - will fall back into the old ways!"

"It will depend greatly on who is chosen to lead them," We hear Lafayette's voice add. "A man of humble means - who has worked to earn his place... I think a man like that is less likely to dream of thrones."

"All men dream of thrones," Stephane mutters sadly. "It is in our nature..."

"Then what would you do?" Lafayette asks.

"Ensure their leader is sterile. Without an heir, the threat of succession is ended - and might be left to the people once more."

The two men continue to whisper to each other until they see us approach. "Connor! Riley!" Lafayette says happily. Knowing Connor's dislike to hugs and affection except from me, he turns to give me a small hug of happiness to see us again. I smile as we exchange the hug until he releases and continues. "This tunnel will take you two into the military district."

"And the Admiral?" Connor asks, obviously not in the comforting mood.

"He waits for you to light the signal - and then the strike begins!" Lafayette says happily.

"And we will be there as well!" Stephane says happily.

"We'll meet you there when our work is finished," Connor says before leaving me and the two other men to walk down the hallway.

"Thanks, you guys," I say with a smile before hugging them both again. "We'll see you soon."

"Good luck, Riley," Lafayette says with a smile.

I nod and quickly follow Connor down the hallway.

…

"Are you ready for this, Riley?" Connor asks me as we both hang from the inside of the well ready to climb out.

"No," I whisper as I shake my head.

Connor looks at me and nods. "Come on, we can do this together." He moves to climb out of the well.

I quickly stop him and silence his mouth with my hand as I see the long dark coat and the shiny point of a musket as a guard sits down on the ledge of the stone well.

Thinking fast, I reach up with my free hand to drive my hidden blade into his back and quickly pull away from Connor as I wrench the guard's body downwards into the darkness of the well we just came from.

"I need you to stay here," I say quietly to Connor. "Until I light the signal fire, I need you to wait here for me. You have to trust me."

"Why would I do that?" Connor asks me with an annoyed tone and a bit of sarcasm in his voice as he looks at me.

"Please, Connor," I say slowly. "Don't argue with me. I need you to do this for me."

"Riley… I-"

I press my finger to his lips. "I love you, but just do this for me."

There's silence between us for a moment as he thinks about this for a moment. I release my finger from his full copper lips as his golden brown eyes soften as he lets out a calming breath of air.

"I'll see you soon," I say to him. "Be ready when I you see the golden flames and hear the cannons."

Connor nods and I quickly hoist myself up and over the ledge of the well and take off running to scale a wall of a nearby building. I jump over the roof and swiftly run along the end of the building trying to keep out of sight of the guards patrolling the grounds below.

Oddly, the streets and rooftops are much stricter and even more heavily guarded from the alleyways to the abandoned windows. I don't expect anything less from a military district. I just don't like it at all. There are more Templar guards lurking around than Redcoats. Haytham knew we were coming.

I can see the tower from where I crouch behind a chimney. Avoiding a guard too occupied on a pretty girl in a green dress below in the streets, I swiftly and silently jump from a nearby tree limb and onto the next roof only being seen for a second by a guard below in an alleyway.

"Crap," I mutter once I get to the edge of the buildings. I crouch down looking right at the tall white tower which is being watched by even more guards. I look to the far right and see the ships as the Admiral promised are floating with their British flags covering up the French ones.

I slowly reach to my side a take out a poison knife I soaked only this morning. Once I catch sight of the guard I have in mind, I wait till he's in range, aim, and release.

The dude takes a while to realize he's been hit and even longer for the poison to soak in. I watch as his comrade quickly runs over to his aid when he sees his friend lying on the ground groaning in pain.

While they're distracted, I slowly stand upright and spread my arms out like a bird before leaping from the roof and into the hay stack down below. Waiting a moment, I whistle and the guy that I didn't stab with a poison knife is cautiously walking towards the hay stack I hide in.

I can tell he's shaken up about seeing his friend dying on the ground as he approaches me. But I don't hesitate to reach out and quickly stab the guy's throat and using all of my strength, I drag him into the hay stack with me.

Just as quickly as he is in there, I'm out just as fast and making a run for the wall of the tower. Thankfully, as I climb, nobody notices me and I can move up the tower without being spotted.

Breathless and tired, I haul my fat butt up and over the ledge of the tower where I find a torch lit and burning next to the signal fire that hasn't been lit yet. I reach out and grasp the metal of the torch and throw it into the oil and wood used to make the signal. It's set ablaze in seconds and I take the opportunity to look over the edge towards the bay where I see the ships beginning to fire. The panic begins.

**Connor**

Connor is startled into a tense and frigid stillness as he jumps up from where he stands to avoid a mess of wood and rock crushing him where he once sat waiting on Riley.

Looking up, he sees that the signal fire has been lit and the cannons are being fired.

Thinking fast, Connor emerges from his hiding place and takes off running through the chaos of screaming redcoats and civilians towards the unprotected Fort George.

_I need to find Lee and get out of here._ He thinks in his head as he runs. _ I hope Riley is alright. _Just as he emerging from an alleyway, Connor is blasted to the side by a cannon ball blowing out the wall of the building to his right.

Connor struggles to get back up as the ringing in his ears only gets worse as he slowly rises from the ground. _Need to get... inside the fort... I am in no condition... to fight... need to stay... away from the guards..._He thinks this as he limps forwards clutching his sore side as he trudges towards Fort George.

The whole walk there, Connor is pushing aside bodies of the living and dead as he slowly makes his way into the side of a fort wall that was blasted. His mind travels back to Riley for a moment before he realizes where he is.

"Where are you, Charles...?" Connor growls as he supports himself on a barrel in the center of the broken courtyard.

"Gone."

Connor cringes at the voice. It is not Lee's voice he hears. It's Haytham's.

Suddenly, he feels a stabbing pain in his back as Haytham shoves him downwards into the ground and then goes to knee him in the face before punching him across the jaw.

Connor staggers backwards for a moment before he can regain himself enough to lunge forwards and punch Haytham in his crotch and then uppercut his jaw as well and then move to grip Haytham's wrist while he twists and pins it against his father's back.

"Come now, you cannot hope to match me, Connor," Haytham bites. "For all your skills, you're still but a boy - with so much left to learn."

Getting an idea, Connor untwists Haytham's arm and moves into stab his arm deeply with his hidden blade.

Haytham shouts in pain before staggering backwards gripping his arm.

The action causes Connor to lose his balance and fall forwards and hold himself up by the hand that isn't gripping his side.

"Give me Lee!" Connor snarls angrily.

"Impossible," Haytham barks. "He is the promise of a better future. The sheep need a shepherd." He goes to examine his heavily bleeding arm as Connor speaks.

"He has been dismissed and censured. He can do nothing for you now."

"A temporary setback," Haytham sighs as he looks away from his arm. "He will be restored. For you and Riley, I cannot say the same." Haytham pulls out his sword and points it at his son.

With every bit of strength and willpower Connor has left, he moves the hand that is not supporting his upper body on a barrel and curls his bloody fingers around the handle of his tomahawk and lets it lower to his leg as he holds it ready to fight. _This is it. I have to kill my father._

**Riley**

Breathless and totally freaked out and totally having a panic attack right now, I run through the broken remaining streets of the military district of New York. There's a hazy cloud of smoke and dust that has settled on everything which makes it even harder for me to breathe. I can't take this. I need to find Connor.

I know where he is but I'm so scared and terrified and traumatized that it's not the running and falling and dodging stuff that's making me shake like I have a condition anymore.

I suddenly hear it. Out of the chaos I hear the unforgettable cry and shout of pain from Haytham.

I take off running.

"You act as though you have some right to judge," Haytham scoffs at his son who is barely able to keep himself standing upright. "To declare me and mine wrong for the world. And yet everything I've shown you and Riley - all I've said and done - should _clearly_ demonstrate otherwise. We did not harm your people, Connor. We did not support the Crown. We worked to see this land united and at peace. Under our rule all will be equal. Do the Patriots promise the same? Perhaps Riley is right as well. This is something she understands far better than any of us could grasp. Do your leaders whom you represent understand this?"

"They offer freedom," Connor snarls as he hits Haytham on the side of the head with an empty wine bottle. I wince in pain at the sight of Haytham yelping and staggering backwards to hold his throbbing head but I refuse to let the tears fall as I hide behind the wall still standing from the fort.

"Which I've told you and Riley - time and time again - is dangerous!" Haytham cries as he blocks a blow from Connor's tomahawk. "There will never be consensus, son, among those you have helped to ascend. They will all differ in their views of what it means to be free. The peace you two so desperately seek does not exist."

I'm starting to lose it. I can't watch this again. I want to wake up. But this time, I can't… I can't scream at the top of my lungs anymore for Connor to come and comfort me and say that it will all be over soon. This is no longer just a dream or some fantasy that I think I'm living in. This is reality. This is real.

"No," Connor says. "Together they will forge something new - better than what came before."

"These men are united now by a common cause," Haytham retorts. "But when this battle is finished they will fall to fighting amongst themselves about how best to ensure control. In time it will lead to war. You both will see."

"The Patriot leaders do not seek control," Connor snaps back as he tries to catch his breath while Haytham is getting off of his sorry ass again. "There will be no monarch here. The people will have the power - as they should."

"The people never have the power," Haytham scoffs while Connor is pulling himself from the ground. "Only the illusion of it. And here's the real secret: they don't want it. The responsibility is too great to bear. It's why they're so quick to fall in line as soon as someone takes charge. They _want_ to be told what to do. They _yearn_ for it. Little wonder, that, since all mankind was _built_ to _serve_."

"So because we are inclined by nature to be controlled, who better than the Templars?" Connor questions angrily at his father. "It is a poor offer."

I can't take this anymore. I quietly move to stand on the wall of the fort and then move to pull off my bow and slip an arrow from my quiver.

"It is truth!" Haytham cries. "Principle and practice are two very different beasts."

"No, father..." Connor sighs. "You have given up - and would have us all do the same."

I get ready to release my arrow when the cannon hits.

I scream as I fall backwards cover my head and ears and the blast sends the two weak men to the ground once again. I don't get the worst of the blast thankfully but the two idiots do.

Quickly getting back to my feet, I scramble back up the wall leaving my quiver of arrows on the ground to only have on in my grip with my bow as I balance myself on the wall again.

I let out a small gasp as I cover my mouth when the two men are trying to get back up.

Connor groans as he slowly sits up and rolls onto his stomach to drag his weak body towards his father. "Ugh... Surrender and I will spare you."

Haytham almost chuckles. "Brave words from a man about to die." He gets on top of his son and presses his firm and strong hands around his son's neck, crushing the life out of him.

"You fare no better," Connor bites back through bloody teeth.

"Even when your kind appears to triumph...Still we rise again," Haytham says as he tightens his grip on Connor. "And do you know why? It is because the Order is born of a _realization_." I load the last arrow into my bow and aim. "We require no creed. No indoctrination by desperate old men. All we need is that the world be as it is. And _this_ is why the Templars will never be destroyed!"

I grit my teeth painfully as the tears stream down my cheeks. I suck in a scattered breath and whimper.

I release the arrow.


	6. Chapter 6

**_The End_**

"NO!"

Connor hears Riley's voice and sees the arrow before he believes it will pierce Haytham's head. He is losing his grip on reality as the choke hold his father has him in is cutting off any air he needed. Connor knows he has to kill his father but he can't do it.

To his surprise," the arrow only goes through Haytham's hat and then takes it and goes flying off to the other side of the remains of a courtyard and lodges itself and the hat into the dirt.

The two men look to the source of the arrow and see Riley. She is standing with her bow loaded with another arrow while she tightly clenches her teeth and tears run down her face.

"Don't do this, please," she pleads at the two men. "I _will_ shoot."

Haytham reluctantly releases his grip on Connor who is sucking in air and breathing and coughing heavily for a moment on the ground. Haytham slowly gets to his feet and so does Connor and they stand a few feet from one another as Riley points her arrow at either one of them. One of them is going to have to die. And Riley knows this.

**Riley**

I suddenly realize in my head that I've already fucked up the time line as it is. But I can't do it. I can't kill him.

With shaking hands and a weak heart, I drop my bow and arrow.

"I can't do it," I whisper. Then I look up at the two idiots before me. "You can't do this." I look over at Haytham. He looks ashamed but I see the glint of a wish to end our threat for what the Templars want. "Do you really want to choose a life of lies, betrayal, death, and sorrow, over a life with your son and the woman you fell in love with?" Haytham says nothing. I look over at Connor. "Achilles may have been right about Lee but he was wrong about Haytham. Your heart was right." I turn back to Haytham as I fight tears again. "Lee has misled you. He wants the power and glory of being a ruler but he knew you would die tonight by your son's hand. He wanted you to die so he could be the Grandmaster and the leader of the free world. You were in his way of all of this."

"But, that's impossible-"

"Is it?" I snap at Haytham who is trying to defend himself and Lee. Haytham says nothing. "I have seen every ending where you die and where Connor dies. Both roads end in sadness and emptiness." The tears well up in my eyes as I walk up to Haytham. "What would Edward say?" I see the guilt form in Haytham's eyes. "He and Tessa wanted nothing more than to see you as an Assassin with a family of your own and unquestionable character. But what did he get? He died too early in his son's life and a Templar snuck in and took him away." I breathe in a scattered breath as I look up at Haytham who too is on the verge of tears. "That's your son, Haytham." I point to Connor who has been silent and observant this whole time and has removed his hood. "I don't want you to die knowing you could have had a good life with a family instead of what you got."

Haytham says nothing as he looks at his son with the burning hatred of the past leaving his eyes. "Connor…" he says slowly. "I… I'm sorry…"

Connor and I drop our jaws in shock at his words. I never through I would hear Haytham say that… ever.

Now it's Connor's turn to do something unexpected. Haytham is a mess and can't even look away from his son who is walking up to hug him.

I smile as I let the tears that are for once truly happy fall as the two men hug like father and son. I will never forget this moment. This is last time I will ever have to watch this scene. And it couldn't have turned out any better…

That is until I heard the gunshot. I jerk backwards a bit as I look up at the two men.

**Connor**

Connor jerks away from his father and snaps his head around to see where the gunshot came from. He looks at his father and then at himself and realizes that they were not shot. Then he sees Riley.

"Bastard!" Haytham shouts as he looks away from Riley and pulls his pistol from his side and shoots the man standing on the ledge of the fort wall with a smoking gun in his hands.

"Riley!" Connor shouts as he runs over to her side. She is whimpering and breathing heavily as the blood continues to soak through her robes. She is bent over her stomach as she clutches her middle and tries to compose herself enough to look up at Haytham and Connor.

"Riley… I…" Haytham begins slowly as he looks at her with pain instead of happiness in his eyes as Riley slowly crumbles to the ground in Connor's arms. "Lee did this," Haytham mumbles.

Connor looks up at Haytham. "We need to get here out of here," he says quickly. "We need to get her back to the homestead Dr. White can help."

"What the bloody hell are we going to do then?" Haytham asks. "We have no way of transportation at this hour of the night and with that hell going on at the docks, there's no way we can get out of here in time."

"The Aquila," Riley whimpers as she is help firmly in Connor's arms.

…

"Come on, can't this thing go any faster?!" Haytham yells at his son from Riley's side.

Connor, who is firmly gripping the captain's helm of the Aquila with white knuckles, is getting annoyed with Haytham's complaining. "We are going as fast as we can, father," he bites back just as fierce and angry as Haytham. But then his eyes soften as he looks over at Riley lying on a mat near him on the captain's deck beside a very anxious Haytham while breathing heavily with her eyes terrified and wide open. "Hang in there, Riley," he mutters to himself as he looks forwards towards the growing bay where the Aquila will make port.

Haytham looks back down at Riley with pain in his eyes. He can't bear to lose her. She is the only reason that he didn't kill his son only an hour ago. The only reason that he is here now going back to the homestead with Connor to rebuild something and maybe even see Ziio again…

Lost in his thoughts, he suddenly realizes that Riley is bleeding heavily again and is soaking the mat she lays on. "Oh shit." Haytham grabs the old torn remains of a sail once used on the Aquila that is now being used to save a life. But Haytham can't take it. He feels the angry tears pooling in his eyes again as he looks with clenched teeth at Riley who is losing consciousness. "Dammit, Riley!" Haytham shouts. "You can't die! Don't you dare bloody leave us! You brought this back together! Don't you even think about letting go!" He begins to sob as he applies more pressure to her stomach to hopefully stop the bleeding. But her eyes are drifting. She is losing the fight.

Then suddenly, the Aquila is coming to a stop and Connor releases the wheel and runs back over to Riley.

"Come on, pick her up," Haytham barks at his son before the other crew members aboard the ship move to put down the ramp so they can run down it to get to the manor.

Connor panics again as he carefully lifts Riley from the ground and the two men take off towards the manor.

Now, Haytham panics. "Hurry, Connor! She doesn't have much time!" Haytham's scared and urgent voice becomes clearer to Riley as she is jostled in Connor's arms. "Which way is the manor?"

"Take a left ahead," Connor says quickly to Haytham.

Thankfully, the moment arrives as Connor moves to kick the front door of the manor open. The three of them burst through the manor doors and Connor shouts into the halls. "Doctor White! Diana! I need you now!"

Not waiting any longer, Haytham and Connor run into the kitchen as Haytham swipes away all the contents on the table in the center so they can lay Riley's body down on it.

"What is it, Connor?" Dr. White appears in the doorway to the kitchen followed by Diana. Then they both see Riley.

"Oh my god!" Diana says quickly as she runs back down the hall.

Doctor White quickly approaches the two men and Riley. "What happened?"

"Gunshot wound," Haytham replies quickly.

"And she's survived this long?" White asks as he moves in to remove the top layers of her robes.

Connor nods. "It is amazing she is still alive."

"Then we best keep her alive, then," White says as he throws aside her Assassin's robes, white shirt, and black tank top to only leave Riley in her boots and jeans and her clean white bra.

Riley's eyes are open as she looks around at everyone not saying a word still in shock of the whole thing.

Diana quickly arrives back in the kitchen with medical supplies in her arms as she runs to White's side.

White turns to Haytham and Connor. "It would be best if the two of you left while we do this," he says calmly.

"No," Connor says quickly. "I will not leave her."

"Come on, son," Haytham says calmly as he pulls Connor backs towards the dining room.

"NO!" Connor continues to thrash and shot at everyone. "Come on, Riley!" Connor is the one this time who is crying for Riley as he is dragged away by Haytham. "Don't leave me! I love you!"

The last thing Connor can see as Doctor White is closing the doors is Riley's eyes welling up with tears that are slipping down her face.

After the doors close and Haytham has released him, Connor presses his hands onto the door and closes his eyes as he puts his forehead against the cold wood and begins to cry. _I'm not crying for Riley, _he thinks in his head_. And I'm not crying because I'm scared I will never see Riley alive again. I'm crying because this is where Achilles was supposed to say, "I told you so." He was right._


	7. Chapter 7

_The Awakening_

_Beep...Beep...Beep...Beep...Beep..._

All I see is white. Everywhere is white. I squint in the brightness as I slowly sit up. I keep hearing this annoying beeping noise you would normally hear in a hospital...

I whip my head around and see the T.V. in the upper corner of the room. There is a tube up my arm and I see the heart monitor beeping with every beat of my rapid heart.

I look down at my stomach and move my hands to feel my body and quickly realize the gunshot wound, the deep cuts and bruises I got when I fell and when I was blasted by a cannon, are gone.

Beginning to panic again, I carefully to out the tube in my arm and wince slightly in pain before I slip out of my hospital bed. I shiver in my thin hospital dress as my feet touch the cold tile ground.

I walk towards the tall glass window and look around and down below to the sounds of the honking cars, sirens, and the sounds of daily life that is the city...

_What's going on?!_ I think in my head. Breathing heavily, I back up from the window and stagger backwards to sit back on my bed.

I haven't seen things like this in order two years... but no... it can't be... but it is...

I'm back in the 21st century.

**Connor**

"What if she does not wake up?"

"She will," Haytham says sharply to his son. "She has to."

Connor slowly slouches back into his chair beside Riley's bed while Haytham stands on the other side looking down at her. Connor reaches out again and takes her soft warm hand that is not bandaged and holds it in his large one.

It has been two weeks since they came back from New York. Haytham and Connor have talked much about how to deal with Lee and the pasts they never shared with one another. It has been a good bonding and father and son type of experience for the both of them. But there is still and probably always be this sort of space between them that will never truly be filled.

The two of them mostly stay in the room with Riley and on rare occasions will leave for various things that need to be done around the manor or homestead. Doctor White will come in throughout the day to see if Riley has made progress or to clean her wounds and apply fresh bandages again.

It's the same routine every day. But nobody complains.

The entire homestead has been in to see her at least once and now it seems the entire place is under a gloomy spell until she awakens.

Riley has to wake up.

**Riley**

"Come on, Riley, just breathe," I pace the room in front of my bed as I run my hands nervously through my hair. "How in God's name am I back? Did I die? Did my time run out? Did-"

I nearly shriek as the door of my hospital room is opening and I hear the voices of different people as they walked in.

"...no, I do not believe that-" A tall man with short blond hair dressed in a black suit comes in first followed by a group of different people that I don't recognize.

They all seem to be startled that I am awake and walking right now.

The man with the short blond hair looks at me and then clears throat before speaking. "Welcome back, Miss Anderson." I say nothing as I stare at him with uneasiness. This man looks oddly familiar. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions. But they will have to wait. You're going to have to come with us."


	8. Chapter 8

_Getting Back, An Illusion, and a Dream State_

"What do you mean it never happened?!" I cry as I look at the people in the room.

"None of that ever happened, Riley," the blond haired dude says as he looks at me while pressing his hands on the white table to lean forwards as he talks to me. "You have been in a coma state under our care and protection for over three years. We call it the Project Hack."

"That's a load off bull shit and you know it," I snap angrily pointing an acusing finger at them as I pace the floor in front of the people in the room.

The man signs. "There is no need to be cross, Riley. Everything after your parent's death never happened. You never went back in time, you never had the experiences you thought you had, and you never died."

"So what you're saying is that I never had the experiences I had," I place my right index finger on top of my left one. "I never saved their lives, I never changed anything about history, and I never even existed to them?"

"Precisely," Blonde says before continuing. "History happened exactly the way as you saw it in your dreams. You had nothing to do with it."

"I know for a fact that I felt that bullet," I say pointing an accusing finger at the man. "I know I felt those emotions and injuries. There's no way I didn't."

"Then why don't you still have a bullet wound in your stomach?" Blonde asks me. I'm speechless. "We programmed your memory to where you felt pain and emotion. We took away the problems of disease and infection to keep you alive. But it wasn't enough. We even made sure you felt things a lot more than normal so it would be believable. We changed the littlest things about how you reacted to every little thing with the touch of a button."

"There's no way that's possible," I say quickly as I fidget with the oversized faded blue and red plaid shirt I wear over a black tank top and jeans with Converse these people (whoever they are) gave to me after we left the hospital. But I still don't know where I am.

I try to fight back tears as I stop pacing and state at the man. "Then why did you pull me out?"

Blonde sighs as he looks down at the table before speaking. "You died in the memory. Then your heart stopped and so did your breathing. We took you out of the coma state you were in and brought you to the hospital where you woke up."

"Where the hell am I?!" I as I look around at the four men and one familiar woman in the room who has been studying me with interest since I woke up. "What year is this?"

The woman speaks this time as she steps forwards. "You are in New York on December 21st 2015 and you now stand in Abstergo Industries where you have been in your coma state since you cried yourself to sleep on the floor in your parent's bunker in Texas."

I stop pacing the floor and stare at the people in the room. "How did you know I lived in a bunker in Texas?" The five grown-ups say nothing. "Nobody knew where we were for the last fifteen years of my life. Then all of the sudden, on the day the world ended, all the Templars in the world find us." I stare at the woman in the eyes. "How is this possible?"

"You have been under survalence since you were enrolled in high school," she says without missing a beat.

"Bull shit," I snap. "You people sent the Templars after my family." I point an accusing finger at all of them. "You knew I would survive and my parents wouldn't."

A shorter man with dark brown hair and dark eyes steps forwards and I nearly scream when I realize who it is. "Riley, you have to listen to us."

"Connor," I whisper as my eyes widen in shock.

"You're going to have to live with the fact that this all happened to you because you are the link between the past and the future," Connor continues with no emotion in his face. That's not my Connor. "The First Civilization chose you to be the prophet of this time era. An important one that Subject 17 was the last one to see the real file of. Before he died trying to save the world."

"Desmond," I mutter before glaring at the fake Connor. "Then why don't you just put me back? It's better than this Hellhole reality."

"It's not that simple," the woman in the black dress with long blond hair says.

"You!" I point an accusing finger at the woman. "Lucy Stillman! how are you still alive?!"

"I think it's best if we put her back in her room," the tall blond dude says.

Fake Connor and another man I don't now come towards me and begin to escort me back to my room.

"NO!" I scream as I begin to try and push past them. "YOU'RE LYING TO ME!" I thrash and claw against the men who have me in their strong arms as they drag me away. I kick the fake Connor behind in the knee and he crumbles to the ground and release me. I use my free arm to swing as hard as I can and uppercut the other man in the jaw.

I jump out of the grip of the guards and run towards the blond man ready to kill him. "YOU KILLED MY PARENTS.!" I cry as it wrap my hands around throat. "AND YOU'RE GONNA PAY!"

"We didn't kill anyone," the man coughs as I get on top of him and squeeze harder on his throat.

"THEN WHO DID?!" There's suddenly a painful stab in my back and I cry out as I release the man underneath me. The world begins to go cloudy and I try and fight the sleep threatening to take me. "No! You can't do this..." the last thing I see is fake Connor looking at me with his same golden brown eyes. "Connor..."

As my eyes closed, there's a familiar blinding white light coming from every direction at once. Then there is nothing. I feel myself waking up in whatever black void I am in.

My feet suddenly find the ground once again and a breath of air finds its way into my throat. I look at my appearance. All I wear is my small white bra and jeans with my boots and my mother's long and old blue sweater but you would think that would be weird to be wearing but I also have thick old-looking white bandages tightly wrapped around my sore middle, my right arm is wrapped as well and there is this weird sticky tape at a long cut running under the right side of my chin. I sigh in relief at the feeling I have of this.

Then, the woman I saw when Connor died, appears again. I believe her name is Juno. That is what I have heard the spirit called that is supposedly the one who determines the past present and future of this world.

"What the hell was that, Juno?" I ask her angirly as I carefully limp forwards and I hold my sore side.

"An illusion." She replies calmly as he looks down at me. "It was the only way I could help explain how you died."

"What do you mean I died?" I ask with. "Why is everybody saying that?"

"You died in the end with Connor and Haytham, Riley," Juno says sadly as she looks at me.

I stare at her with wide eyes as I drop my jaw.

"Your task is not over," She continues. "You are not supposed to die until much later."

"Why didn't you just send me back to my time?" I ask with tears threatening to come. "Why did you send me to that hellhole of a reality I thought was real with people who were dead and people I loved?"

"Because I showed you what will happen if you go back," she replies.

I'm silent as I think about this for a moment. "So all of that was a lie, and illusion?" I ask.

She nods. "Now, I ask you again." She holds up her right hand and holds up a glowing sphere with my mother and father are still playing with a younger version of myself and smiling and laughing with me. She holds up her left and produces a glowing sphere with an older version of Connor and I sitting together in front of the manor with a small child wrapped in a blue cloth in my arms as we smile and talk together. "Your family is waiting for you, Riley."

I chose Connor last time because I realized that, I already had my time with my parents. I had a task to do and my parents knew this. They sacrificed themselves to give me this chance.

I look up at Juno. I smile. She smiles back.

...

The impact of the air rushing into my lungs felt like I was just hit with a train in the chest. I wheeze and suck in as much air as I can before I come back to my senses. My eyes snap open and I look up at the brown wood of my four poster bed in front of me. I feel the annoying roughness of my white sheets and realize how much I missed that feeling. The air is warm and humid and I breathe in the familiar musty old scent of the manor once again.

I snap awake and sit up and bite back a scream in pain. I bring my hand over to touch my stomach which throbs in pain at my sudden movements as I look around my surroundings. I'm back in my own room and feel as if I just woke up from a nightmare. I look to my side and see on my night stand the one small candle lighting up the room and a large musket ball that gives off a dull shine. My stomach begins to hurt at the sight of it.

"How nice of you to join us."

I whip my head around to see Haytham sitting down watching me with a book propped open in his lap in the chair that I once had set near my large window but is now is set in the corner of the room. I nearly squeal for joy to see him. I can't believe I actually missed that asshole.

"Nice to be back," I say with a small grin but it quickly fades at the sound of my gross and raspy voice.

"You gave us all quite the scare," Haytham continues as he looks back down at his journal and continues to write with what little ink he has in his quill. "I thought Connor would never sleep."

"How is he?" I ask painfully as I continue to look at Haytham.

"He's been better," Haytham replies. "I've never seen a man so worked up in my life over a woman."

I grin. That's my Connor, I think to myself. "Can I see him?"

"Later, maybe," Haytham says still not looking up from his journal. "I finally got that boy to lay down and get some sleep."

I nod, sadly wishing I could at least see him. I want to see my Connor; no stupid impostors.

...

It must be several hours later when I wake up again because when I look around the room, it's dark and must be maybe two or three in the morning and Haytham and all of his "cheery warmth" is gone. But there's someone else in the room.

Wincing in pain again as I look down to my left side, I see Connor. I fight the urgeto wake him and scream happily and hug him and kiss him so thankful that he's back. But he's so peaceful, I just can't.

He is sitting in the chair next to my bedside with his head down resting on his arms taking up a small portion of my bed beside me.

I smile as I slowly reach out and run my fingers through his messy but long and soft raven black hair. He is definitely at his most peaceful when he's sleeping.

I do this for a little while as he sleeps while I listen to his slow and steady breathing. I whisper his name a few times and sing to him the same song I sang when he was dying in my arms at Bunker Hill.

But then he shudders awake out of his sleep and slowly looks up at me.

"Riley?" he mumbles heavily in his deep voice before slowly sitting up and rubbing his eyes. He probably thinks he's still dreaming.

I smile as I reach out and slowly take his face in my hands. "Connor," I whisper with a soft chuckle as I smile. "I'm here." _And I'm not going anywhere._

Connor smiles lightly as he slowly brings his hands up to hold mine that still rest on his face. "Riley," he breathes before leaning forwards and throwing his arms around me, careful not to hurt me.

I laugh and sigh quietly as I smile happily and I throw my arms around his neck. When we pull away, I rest my forehead against his and close my eyes as he holds my face gently in his hands. It feels so good to be with im again.

"I missed you," I whisper before I lean in and press my lips to his warm full copper ones. Best. Feeling. Ever.

He leans in as well and pushes me gently backwards so I'm laying down again as I curl my fingers around the fabric at the back of the thin white shirt he wears.

"I missed you too," he whispers back in between kisses before he brings his knee upwards to rest on my bed as he leans forwards more. I smile against his mouth as he holds me in his large, strong arms once again.

He carefully snakes his arm around my bandaged waist as he slips beneath the warm covers of my bed and continues to kiss me as we both fall asleep to the beating of our hearts.

I'm so glad I woke up.


	9. Chapter 9

_Begin Again, Some Broth, and the Departure_

"So, how long was I out?" I ask out of the silence.

"A few weeks," Connor replies as he looks out to the mountains.

The two of us sit out on the white railings of the upper balcony on the back of the manor looking out over the valley and the bay below. We watch the sun slowly rise over the horizon like we used to do before things got bad as we enjoy one another's company.

The air is cool and a light breeze breathes through the trees and blows loose strands of faded orange and purple hair across my face. It's a very peaceful morning. I love it. I gues because I haven't seen a sunrise in over a month. Well, I guess I never thought I would see _this_ sunrise again.

I look down at the yellow hot broth in the bowl in my hands and move to stir the contents with the silver spoon. Connor draped his warm blanket over my shoulders before he took a seat beside me this morning. It has beautiful colors and designs weaved into it. I can tell it is something of value to him that he brought from the Mohawk village. I only woke up a few hours ago and made Connor, who stayed in my room the rest of the night, get up to find me something to eat or drink and he returns with this hot broth and finds me sitting on the balcony.

Nobody knows I'm awake besides Connor and I suppose for a bit I would like to keep it that way. I like the peace and quiet I'm getting right now.

"How are you and Haytham?" I ask as I look up at the golden rays of sunshine again.

"There is progress between us but we will never be quite the same," Connor replies calmly as he too looks at the beautiful sunrise with me.

I nod as I bring up the small silver spoon to my lips and drink in the warm and comforting broth that soothes my aching throat. "Do you know anything about Lee's wearabouts?" I ask.

"Yes," Connor replies. "My father told me that the last time they spoke was the night before we attacked. He knew we were coming the whole time. That is why he sent Lee away. But Lee knew that my father would die by one of our hands. So he said that when Haytham returned, he was to meet him in Boston where they would regroup and find out their next stratgey."

"Where in Boston?" I ask Connor as I glance at him.

"The docks," Connor says, turning to look at me. "He did not say why, though."

I nod slowly before setting my bowl of broth to my side, I swing my legs back onto the deck and set my bare feet on the cool wood.

I slowly walk past my bedroom and into my bathroom where I nearly shriek at the sight I see in the mirror.

My once bright icy blue eyes are now a dull blue, my full pale blond hair and faded rainbow steaks is now thin and frail in my hands, and my face makes me look older than I actually am along with my pale face making me look like I've never seen the sun. I no longer feel the firm muscle at my arms, abs, or legs anymore. All I feel is this weak and frail me that is all that remains. I can't believe what a gunshot wound and a four week coma can do this to me. But it truly is way better than the pain I once felt for everyone that I thought I would never see again in this life.

Connor walks into the bathroom and sees my expression at the sight of myself in the mirror. He stands behind me and carefully snakes his arms around my waist. I fight the small pain I'm feeling in my middle at the moment as Connor rests his head on my shoulder.

"Hey, beautiful," he says softly. "You look gorgeous today as usual."

I glare at him through the mirror even though I'm enjoying the moment before pushing away from Connor's embrace. I exit my bedroom and quickly realize that it hurts too much to walk straight for long periods of time.

I whimper quietly as I lean my body towards the wall as I make my way down the stairs.

I find the kitchen and living room surprisingly empty. I feel this twinge of fear inside that Haytham may have left for good...

Quickly shaking the thought from my head, I slowly trudge down the familiar hall towards the hospital room.

I find Doctor White and Haytham in the room talking quietly to each other when I enter. I hear Connor's footsteps behind me as I walk towards the two men.

Quietly clearing my throat, the two men stop talking and are surprised to see me standing and awake.

"Riley," White says with a wide smile as he walks up to me. He places a hand on my shoulder as he asks me, "How are you feeling?"

I nod. "Better." I glance up at Haytham who nods to me.

"Would you like me to check the wound again?"

I nod, still keeping this dull and straight face on. I don't want to be over excited that I'm back.

Doctor White looks over at the two men. "It would be best if you two left the room for this."

Haytham nods to him and clasps his hands behind his back and strolls out of the room. Connor gives me one last reassuring look before following his father out of the room.

"Where's Diana?" I ask as I carefully remove the long dark blue sweater from my shoulders.

"She is at home today," White replies as he walks over to one of the cabinets with clean bandages and towels. "Her husband is not feeling well."

I toss aside my blue sweater and slowly sit down on a clean white cot. Out of habit and boredom, I reach up and play with the limp strands of pale blond hair as Doctor White comes towards me.

There is silence between us as he reaches around me to carefully pull away the old bandages that are tightened around my middle.

"Are you well? Anything still hurting?" White asks me I suppose trying to make conversation.

"Just the soreness in my stomach is all," I shrug.

There's a strange silence that follows between us as White removes the rest of the bandages and begins to examine the wound.

"Well, it certainly looks much better than it did last time I checked," White says confidently before instructing me to lay down on the cot. "But I must tell you how surprised you lasted as long as you did in such conditions."

"Miracles are made everyday," I say with a small grin.

White chuckles. "You are right."

He turns away to soak a rag in water. I carefully sit up and look down at my stomach. The torn flesh where the bullet took my life has been carefully closed up and now hardly shows any sign of it being worth my death.

I let out a few shaky breaths to try and calm myself. _It's just a bullet wound. You're alive now. Calm down, Riley. It's over... that nightmare is over..._

...

_"_Are you sure you want me to do this alone?"

"Are you kidding me?! I couldn't go with you even if I wanted to. I'm still injured."

Connor looks at me with sad eyes and bows his head.

I reach up and take his face in my hands so he'll look at me. "Hey," I whisper softly. "This isn't my story. It's yours. I had the chance to kill Lee all those years ago at Bunker Hill. I didn't do that, because I want you to have revenge on the man that had done so many horrible things to your life. Finish this for us. I'll be here when you get back." I lean in a little more and close the space between us. I kiss him ever so softly and slowly pull away and rest my forehead against his.

"Thank you, Riley," Connor whispers. "For everything. I love you."

"Captains! We're here!"

I sigh as I pull away from Connor. "It's time."

Connor and I emerge from the captain's cabins and step out into the Boston sun which is annoyingly bright. But still a sight I missed.

"Afternoon, my good captain's."

We both turn around to face Mister Faulkner. I never thought I would be so happy to see him. I smile as we greet him happily before I lead Connor to the docks of Boston.

I look up at Connor who looks like he doesn't want to do this anymore. I look to my side and see Haytham walking towards us with his fancy hat on with his hands clasped behind his back.

"I trust this will be simple for you, Connor?" Haytham says as he looks to his son.

Connor nods. "I will make you proud, father."

Haytham grins with a small nod and gives his son a reassuring pat on the shoulder before turning to walk back onto the Aquila.

"You can do this, Connor," I say as I look up at him. "I have faith that you can."

Before I can do anything else, Connor pulls me into his strong arms like he did before we were hanged in front of all of New York. But this time, I'm afraid this will be our last one...


	10. Chapter 10

_His Point of View, His Revenge, and His Sacrifice_

**Connor**

My father and Riley are alive and well. Charles Lee now leads the Templar Order in my father's place and still under the impression that he is dead. I see now why ours is an eternal war. For each piece taken from the board, another is placed upon it. Back and forth we go. Across the world. Across the ages. Some days, mine and Riley's feels an impossible task, but we cannot afford to be consumed with doubt. The people need us. Now, more than ever. We must stop the Templars. I will kill Charles Lee.

I thinks these things as I pull my hood over my head and walk down the streets of Boston in search for the place my father told me I would find Lee. He is not there when I arrive. Only the remains of people that were once hiding out in the abandoned warehouse.

Then I hear it. The few words that tell me he is close.

"...that's what Lee was tellin' me."

"When did he say that?" The other mercenary asks his friend.

"Earlier this mornin' when we was leavin' the harbor," he replies as I keep a close eye on the pair while weaving through a crowd of people waiting to board a ship to take somewhere else.

"Is that so?" his friend asks. "Say, George, you know where he is now?"

"Last I heard, 'e was takin' refuge in some old inn until tonight for fear of these two Assassins; one's big and bulky man and the other's a little kid who's shorter than your average girl," George replies. "There's supposed to be a memorial service for Kenway tonight at the cemetery too."

"Really? I never heard such a thing."

"It'll be an exclusive affair," George continues. "Since 'e was killed by them Assassins a few weeks ago."

"Sounds good to me," George's friend says. "I'll meet you there, then?"

"Yeah, as soon as I finish my rounds."

_I need to get to this memorial service before Lee can have a chance to leave. _I think as I weave through the crowd silently once again and find a place to wait until the service starts.

**Riley**

**"**I'm nervous, Haytham," I say uneasily as I pace the upper deck in front of the captain's wheel while Haytham sits on a stack of wooden crates of supplies watching me.

"What's there to be nervous about, Riley?" Haytham chuckles as he looks up from his examining of his left hidden blade strapped tightly to his wrist and lower arm. "Connor will do the job and he will do it well."

"I know," I mutter as I continue to pace. "But... I just... I'm scared..."

"Of what?" Haytham asks.

I stop pacing and turn to look at him in the eyes. "Because I don't know what's going to happen next." Haytham raises his eyebrows at me. "Every time I saw this part... you always ended up dead and there was a funeral. This time... you're here and I don't know where Lee is and neither does Connor. I don't want him to die."

**Connor**

"We gather today to remember a man of peerless vision, who sought to change the world. And change the world he did. Look around. Even now the British prepare to retreat - their spirits broken - their forces splintered. The Patriot leadership shall soon follow - either into our service or into the ground. And then, my friends, all of this will finally be ours!" Charles Lee stands at the head of the large group of men and women gathered around a tombstone at the back of the church building while he speaks, the lies and fake emotions and acting drip from his words and posture. "We have Haytham to thanks for this. He and all those others who sacrificed for our cause. But he was not content merely to save the people of America, no, he sought to save those sworn to our destruction." I pull down my hood and begin to walk towards him. "He sought to save the Assassins. Aye. It seems a mad thing, now. And it cost him his life. The Assassins are a cruel and terrible coven. They speak only the language of death. Too late he learned the truth of this. Murdered by his own son." People gasp and step back as I walk past them towards Lee. "He gave his life as he lived, in service to a dream we all share. And so we must fight on. We will vanquish our enemies. We will spread our word. And in time, my brothers and sisters, in time we will have our New World."

I feel strong hands grip my upper arms tightly. Even though I can easily break away, I let them drag me up to the front before Lee's feet as the rain pours over my face and my father's fake grave.

Lee looks at me with cold eyes before looking to one of the two guards that dragged me up here. He nods. I suddenly feel this sharp pain in the back of my legs and I crumble to the ground and fall to my knees.

The two men who brought me to my knees now point their loaded muskets at my head while I look up at Lee and loath what I see as he holds up the green Grand Temple Key on a red cord that Riley always talked about that once belonged to my father and I suppose gave it to Lee for safe keeping.

Lee looks down at me while he holds the key and speaks, "He sent me away... That day at Fort George. He feared for my safety." Lee takes a shaky breath as if trying to hold back his fake tears. "I should have stayed. He said there was no danger."

"He was wrong," I say as I look up at Lee who has a light of fear in his eyes.

Mustering up his courage, Lee speaks, "I will kill you, Connor. You and Riley both. This, I swear." He looks around at the cemetery. "Not here, though. Not today. No... First - first I'll destroy all you hold dear. I'll burn that homestead of yours to the ground - and roast the severed heads of your precious "founding fathers" in its flames." I continue to look up at Lee with a part of me trying not to show the emotion that I am scared that all of this will happen. But I know in my heart that while I am still alive, none of these things will ever happen in this life. "And when I've finished with them, all the rest will burn as well. Your merry band of Assassins. The human refuse that lives on your land. Your village and its people. All of it - gone! Only then will I kill your precious Riley who has escaped her inevitable death once and for all."

I try not to scoff or laugh like Riley probably would as I look up and Lee and say, "You can try, Charles. But as with all your schemes, this too will end in failure."

It is Lee's turn to look frightened as he looks down at me. Then, trying not let his fright reach his voice, he looks up at the men on either side of me and snaps, "Get him on his feet." The men grip my upper arms and hold me in front of Lee's face. "He will wait. He will watch. And then - when he's seen all his life's work brought to ruin and the ones he loves dead... Only then will I allow him to die. Take him away."

**Riley**

I bite my thumb nail and with my free hand wrap my arm across my middle as I pace the floor of the upper deck in the late hours of the night trying desperately hard not to cry or have another panic attack.

"Just calm down, Riley," I whisper to myself. "He's going to be okay. He's just having a nice coffee break before he hunts down Lee... yeah... a coffee break... it's gonna be okay..."

My self reassuring isn't working. I drop my hands to my side and look up at the stars in the dark sky. I feel the tears pooling in my eyes as I look up at the glowing sliver of the moon through the hazy clouds._ He has to survive. He is strong._

**Connor**

"Need something, darling?"

"No," I snap at the woman as my eyes sweep the room in search of the Green Dragon Tavern the next evening after the memorial service for the man I am looking for. I push past her and walk towards the only person in the room sitting alone with a drink in his hand.

"Rude," I hear the woman mutter under her breath as I walk towards the mercenary sitting at the table and take the chair across from him and flip it around so I can rest my arms on he back as I give him my death stare.

"Can I help you?" The mercenary scoffs as he turns away to take another swig of his drink.

"You know you can," I growl.

"Pardon?" The man asks as he looks away from his drink.

I snap out and grab the man's arm and curl it downwards at a painful angle.

"Ow!" the man cries. "Geez..."

"I do not like having my time wasted," I snarl as the man groans in pain and dips his head down trying to wriggle free from my grip.

"S-stop that," he whimpers. "D-don't make me call the guards."

I curl his hand harder and lift it from the table. "Make a sound and you die," I growl as I look at him with my death glare once again.

"What do you want?" He asks as he shifts uncomfortable in his chair at the pain. I look at him waiting for him to get the message. "He's in the harbor. At the long pier, most likely. We heard what happened at the parade. Charles got all nervous – said he was leaving the country. I thought he was overreacting. Guess not."

I release his hand and get up from the table. "Thank you," I say kindly as I look down at the man. I turn around and walk away.

I walk down the road towards in the Boston sun towards the harbor without even thinking. I will kill Charles Lee today. If not me, then Riley will be the one to finish my story.

I find Lee. He is talking urgently with the harbor master with a terrified look in his eyes as he tries to hurry the man into a passage out of here. Then he spots me. He takes off running.

"Lee," I growl as I take off running down the pathway towards him. Pushing people from my line of path, I fly down the harbor towards him as he jumps from a small supply ship to the other side where there is the burning remains of a large ship that was under construction.

"You can't go in there!" a worker calls to us I ignore him.

"There's been an accident!"

The heat and flames of the fire burn my skin as I shield my face from the worst of it. Lee is just within my reach of kill until he slides under some boards which collapse when I get to them. I turn to run up the side of the interior of the boat and jump from pole to pole until I am on the upper deck where one of the walls nearly collapses on top of me. I roll backwards to avoid any severe burns.

I run forwards pushing pieces of charred wood aside as I jump out of the boat and onto the platforms built around the outside for building. I see Lee jumping down from one of the wooden braces and I quickly follow swing down onto a lower level to keep up with him. And he definitely is fast for a man of fifty years.

Once ont he other side of the ship, I find a rope and a heavy box of supplies. Slicing the rope, it takes my up as the boxes tied up go down and I land on the upper deck of the ship where the flames are not as bad yet. I swing on one of the old wooden pulley systems and fall to my feet on the upper deck of the ship and free run towards the frantic and terrified Lee.

I dive forwards ready to end his life with my hidden blades when the ground collapses beneath us. I roll to the side opposite of Lee into the words of the sharp parts of broken wood. I do not yell or cry out in agony as I feel this unbelievable pain coming from my side as a large piece of wood falls on top of my stomach and presses the sharp piece of wood into my body.

I look to the side and see that Lee has gotten up and is walking towards me as I lay on the ground looking at the wood in my side. I grunt in pain.

"Why do you persist...?"Lee scoffs down at me. I reach out to grasp the wood in my side. "You and Riley put us down. We rise again. You end one plot – we forge another." I pull the wood free and bite back a yelp of pain. "You both try so hard... But it always ends the same. Those who know you two think you mad and this is why... Even those men you sought to save have turned their backs on you." I feel around slowly for the pistol that slipped from my belt and grip the handle with my finger curled around the trigger. "Yet you both fight. You resist. Why?"

Sucking in a shaky breath and gathering up every ounce of energy I have left, I snarl out a remark. "Because no one else will!" I raise the gun and fire, not aiming at anything in particular. But as soon as I hear the grunt of pain, I know I hit him good in the chest as he falls backwards to the ground in agony.

That is when my fingers drop the gun and I close my eyes, losing consciousness.

...

I suddenly feel a stabbing pain in my side again and I jerk in pain as I bring both my hands to hold my bleeding side. Slowly opening my eyes, I force myself to sit up and try my hardest not to cry out in pain. I get to my feet and bend forwards in pain as I hold my bloody side and slowly trudge forwards and out of the burning ship.

Like a drunkard, I drag my injured body towards the harbormaster on the other side of the dock as I try my hardest not to collapse on the ground in agony and let the darkness take me that now clouds my vision.

The harbormaster chuckles as I walk towards him. "Rough night, was it. I look up at him and breath heavily from the extortion it took to walk this far. Somehow already knowing what I need the man speaks again. "He headed inland. Took a ferry up the Charles River."

"I will need passage as well," I pant as I look at the man in pain.

"Of course," the harbormaster says kindly. "Only say the word."

...

I slowly drag myself up the dusty path in Monmouth towards a bar near the docks where I find him barely alive and sitting down in a isolated part of the room with a bottle of whiskey in front of him as Lee stares off into the distance.

I grip a knife tightly in my right hand as I use my left arm to hold my bleeding side as I breathe heavily in pain. I walk up to Lee's table and reach out to drag the chair across from him to move it closer beside him. Letting go of the knife, I lay it on the table and lean back in my chair and just stare at Lee.

Charles sighs as he weakly reaches out and picks up the bottle of whiskey on the table and tips it back to drink. Swallowing the bitter liquid, he then leans forwards with a small grin on his lips and hands the bottle to me.

I sigh as I reach out and take the bottle not taking my eyes from his. I tip the remains of the bitter and sour drink down my throat before setting it down and looking down to my pained side. I look up at Charles who leans back in his chair and shake his head slightly and gives me the "okay" to kill him now.

I then reach out and take the silver dagger on the table and grip it tightly as I lean forwards. Charles does not fight me as I scoot my chair forwards slightly and slowly reach out to grip his shoulder. I bring his forehead to rest against mine as I glare at him with a fiery burning passion of anger hatred glowing in my eyes as I grip the handle of the knife and drive it into Lee's chest.

I feel no regrest as I pull away and sowly watch the light leave Lee's eyes. He looks at me with his last dying moments on this earth as I reach out and rip away the green Key from his neck. The action causes him to fall fowards with his head resting on the table in front of him.

With a throbbing pain in my side, I force myself to get up and I drag myself out of the chair and walk towards the exit of the bar without looking back.


	11. Chapter 11

_Two Injured Assassins_

"I'm going after him," I finally say before reaching down to pick up my sword while trying to not whimper in pain at the soreness of my stomach.

"Riley, don't," Haytham says to me while getting up from the barrel he sits on while we stand on the captain's deck. "You're still injured. He'll be back soon."

I look up at Haytham with annoyance. "I'm not taking any chances. He needs me." I turn away to walk off of the Aquila and then I see him. I gasp and drop my bow and quiver of arrows in my hands and take off running down the dock. "Connor!" I gasp at the sight of him.

Haytham's not far behind me as I fight the throbbing pain my stomach is giving me while running towards my Connor who is bleeding heavily and barely able to keep himself standing and barely conscious as he limps towards us.

Just as he crumbles to the ground, I come to his aid and press my body into his chest to keep him from crumbling to the ground. But he's to heavy for me to support him on my own. I'm falling to the ground with his dead weight on top of me.

But Haytham thankfully gets to us in time. He helps Connor to his feet and throws one of his arms over his shoulders. I take the other and throw it over my shoulder and the two of us drag Connor's limp body back towards the Aquila.

"Get him on the table," I instruct Haytham. He lays his son's body on the wooden table used for emergencies like this inside the lower deck and helps me pull the top layers of his Assassin's robes from his body.

"Have you ever done anything like this before, Riley?" Haytham asks as he tosses aside Connor's robes and moves to pick up a wet rag from the bucket of fresh water from the floor.

"Um... once," I admit as I unbutton Connor's undershirt to reveal how badly the wound in his side really is. The torn flesh from the sharp piece of wood didn't go as deep as I had previously thought, thankfully but it did enough to be a life threatening problem if not treated soon. "I helped Doctor White with a guy's chest wound once when he was injured on one of our voyages. But how much different can this be?" I chuckle a bit desperately trying to lighten the mood.

Haytham returns to my side with a wet rag, some kind of weird needle and thread I saw White use once to stitch up a patience's leg. I suppose like the stitches of the 18th century. "What else do you need?" he asks me while he steps back for me to work.

Connor is not moving. He breaths in and out slowly as if trying to sleep but something keeps pulling him back into consciousness. I panic as he begins to wake up again and breathes heavily while opening his eyes in fright while trying to reach out and grip his bleeding side.

"Connor, calm down," I say quickly as he tries to get up."It's okay!"

"Riley!" he gasps.

"It's me, Connor!" I say quickly as I grab his hands and try to hold him down. "I'm here, just calm down."

His heavy breathing stops and he begins to slowly relax his tensed muscles as he looks into my icy blue eyes with is large golden brown ones that slowly begin to close and he lays his head back down on the table.

I sigh as I step back and try to calm myself down while I turn around to face Haytham who has been very quiet and observant of the two of us in the corner of the room. "Can you go and tell Faulkner to set a course for home while I work on Connor?"

"Yes," Haytham says quietly before slowly exiting the room and closing the door behind him.

I turn around to face Connor who has his eyes open and is watching me quietly as I walk towards him with a look of sadness on my face.

"Are you alright?" I ask him as I soak the rag in the cool and clean water again and move to press it lightly to Connor's forehead to clean away the sweat and dirt he managed to collect.

"I am now," he says softly just above a whisper but there is still a small smile on his face that calms me a bit. "I killed him."

"How did it feel?" I ask him as I wring out the rag and move to clean the blood that is dripping from his side.

"Like the world had just been lifted from my shoulders," he replies.

I reach up and tuck a few blond strands of hair behind my ear and I begin to clean the wound itself which causes Connor to grunt in pain and fidget uncomfortably for a moment. "Sorry," I whisper. I look down at him. "Why don't you try and get some sleep while I bandage you up?"

"Okay," he whispers. "Can you sing for me again?"

I smile as I look down at him. "Last time I did that, I watched you die."

He lightly shakes his head. "I will not die this time."

I sigh. "Okay," I finally say. "Let me think of something." I look up at the ceiling for a moment to run my mind through the songs I last listened to before I shut my phone off that surprisingly hasn't died yet.

I look down at Connor who has closed his eyes again and is breathing softly as if waiting on me. I take a deep breath, clean away the rest of the blood, and begin:

_And the blood will dry_

_Underneath my nails_

_And the wind will rise up_

_To fill my sails_

I remove the rag from his side and seemed to have stopped the bleeding for a little while and have cleared up the mess to where it's only the hole the wood made.

_So you can doubt_

_And you can hate_

_But I know_

_No matter what it takes_

_I'm coming home_

I begin to wrap the bandages around his body, being extra careful when I have to go around his back.

_I'm coming home_

_Tell the world that I'm coming home_

I begin to tie off the faded white bandages and continue to sing as I see Connor's body finally beginning to completely relax.

_Let the rain_

_Wash away_

_All the pain of yesterday_

_I know my kingdom awaits_

_And they've forgiven my mistakesI'm coming home_

_I'm coming home_

_Tell the world I'm coming home_

I end the song early as I finish the bandaging and Connor seems to have fallen asleep. I smile at his peaceful state and carefully run my hands through his raven black hair again. Turning away for a moment, I walk towards the corner of the room with extra blankets and walk towards Connor with one in my hands. I drape it over his warm body and pull up a chair to sit down beside him.

Not wanting to disturb him, I only rest my head next to his and he doesn't stir enough to awaken at my movements of getting comfortable while I slowly drift into sleep with the song:

_I'm coming home_

_I'm coming home_

_Tell the world I'm coming..._


	12. Chapter 12

_Lots and Lots and Lots of Time, Another Departure, a Trip back to Where it All Began, and a Happily Ever After (For Once)_

"Riley... Riley."

I suddenly feel a firm hand rest on my shoulder. I shudder and snap awake.

"The answer's King Henry VIII!" I say quickly as I raise my hand.

"Shh!"

I turn to see Haytham beside me and Connor still asleep on the wooden table with dried blood caked around the bandages at his side. I sigh heavily and begin to find that sleeping on my side with my back arched slightly is a painful way to stay with the person you love. I groan as I rub my sore back and neck.

"How is he?" Haytham asks me while composing himself to talk with me after my sudden outburst. I've strangely been having dreams about the future or really, the years I lived in before I was dumped here. They're mostly about my school life and what I did and missed because I was always drawing pictures of Connor or Haytham or Achilles or Edward or the Aquila or basically anything I've seen from the Kenway line of family or that has to do with this time period.

"He's been better," I mutter as I slouch in the old wooden chair beside Connor.

"Well," Haytham says awkwardly as he clasps his hands behind his back once again. "We have arrived."

"Home?" I ask as I slowly get to my feet and push past Haytham to walk out onto the upper deck of the Aquila.

We are docked on the port of the Davenport Homestead while the beautiful summer sunlight glistens across the blue sea water and the crew happily greets the two of us and goes about their merry business.

"Home," Haytham responds.

...

It took us all about six months to fully recover. Connor and I will always have our scars, but we are both well and can stand and walk and run without serious pain. But there is always that limit I feel we will have on our bodies. We both had to spend a lot of time trying to collect our strength and stamina back along with our own peace of mind since this last year has been a tough one for all of us. We both still visit Achilles' grave everyday together or alone. It seems to help.

Haytham and his minor wound that Connor gave him is completely fine and is only an annoying line across the top of his arm. He has adapted well to the life of the homestead and for now, will be staying in the manor with us until we can find other arrangements. Most likely he will have a place of his own. The people who live here are thrilled that Connor and I are up and walking and no longer in pain or unconscious for weeks at a time. And Connor even cut his hair so he only has that small ponytail on top. I still make fun of him for it.

Little Connor couldn't be happier that I'm back. I love this place.

"Hurry, Papa! We're going to miss it!"

"Dont' worry, Ellie, we won't miss the departure."

I smile at the little girl with dark pigtails and pretty bows in her hair while wearing her best dress as she tugs on her father's arm to take them towards the docks just like where everybody in New York or in the Colonies is.

Today is November 25, 1783, Evacuation day. We won the Revolutionary War several months ago right around the time I was shot. But the last of the British troops are leaving today. It's a good day to be a Patriot.

Connor, Haytham, and I stand behind and away from the large crowd of people standing at the docks watching the last British ship sail away. The colonists hurl insults and shake their fists at the ships as it leaves the harbor.

"This is quite the scene," Haytham notes as he looks around at all the people cheering and calling out to the British.

"Indeed it is," Connor says as he lightly holds his side.

Suddenly, we hear a cannon being shot. The three of us look up and see the single cannonball flying through the air towards the harbor. A silence falls over the crowd until it lands safely in the water not able to harm anybody.

Everyone laughs and cheers while mocking the ship as it sails away into the horizon.

Connor chuckles lightly and shakes his head. I smile and laugh lightly as I turn around to walk away. But then I freeze where I am and let my jaw drop as I look at the scene in front of me.

A white man stands up on a platform calling out to people as he offers up two African American men and one woman up for sale as they stand behind him with sad eyes and empty hearts filled with sorrow.

I want to cry as I look at the poor innocent slaves up for sale. And the worse part is... it's only the beginning.

...

"Connor, I promise you, you're not gonna like what you find," I say to Connor, a bit out of breath as the three of us trudge up a hill towards Kanatahséton after we left New York. It's almost nightfall, we will need to camp somewhere soon. "It won't be as you remember it when we came and saw your mom."

"Come on, Riley," Connor chuckles. "How could my village change so much in a year?"

"More than you think," I mutter.

"You've seen Ziio recently?" Haytham asks me as he looks over his shoulder at me.

"You could've seen her too," I chuckle. "But noooo. You had to go off and give off Washington's plans before I could and cut of your ties to both Connor and Ziio."

Haytham rolls his eyes. "I didn't want to listen."

"And it most certainly cost you, didn't it?" I ask.

He says nothing to me as we continue to follow a very excited Connor towards the tall logs of his village. Haytham and I follow him into the inside and find it empty except for a lone traveler sitting down in the center of the camp tending a fire that brings a really delicious smell with it.

Connor looks around his home shocked at sad and let down at the sight. Then he walks towards the man sitting down. Haytham and I follow.

"If you're hungry, I've extra," the man calls to us as he looks over the fire to the three of us.

"No thank you," Connor says as he continues to look around before taking a seat on the stump in front of the traveler.

"Ooh, food," I say happily as I walk up to he man who hands me a bowl with some deer meat inside. "Thanks." I smile and dig my fingers into the mixture and eat the warm deer meet as I take a seat in the dirt in front of the fire beside Connor.

Haytham decides to stand as he walks around as if taking in all that he sees in the remains of the village.

"Where is everyone?" Connor asks the man.

"Gone west," the traveler replies as he stares into the glowing flames of fire. "Been a while since they left. Seems some fellow from New York was granted the land by congress."

"What?" The three of us exclaim together while I nearly drop the bowl of delicious deer meat in my hands.

"Seein' it happen more and more," the man sighs. "Government _says_ they don't take land that's already owned, but, uh..."

Connor looks like he's ready to cry as he slowly gets up from where he sits down on the stump to look around his forgotten home once again.

"Connor..." I begin slowly.

"How could this have happened?" Connor asks the man as he looks around.

"We're on our own now," the man says. "No more Merry English parts and labor. Which means we gotta go at it ourselves. Gotta pay for it too. Sellin' land is quick and easy and not quite so nasty as taxes. And since some say they're what started the whole war, ain't no rush to bring 'em back. Clever men, these new leaders of ours. They know not to push it just yet. Too soon for taxes. Too... British."

Connor turns to leave the village and Haytham follows. I walk over and hand my clean and empty bowl to the traveler again as I say, "Thank you."

"Be safe," he says to me as I turn to walk away and follow Connor and Haytham.

...

"What now?"

"I agree. What do we do now?"

I turn to look at the two idiots on either side of me. "Have you idiots no faith in me?"

Connor glances at me. "What do you have to propose we do?"

I smile. "I have a plan."

Haytham groans. "Why do I hate it when you say that?"

I roll my eyes. "Oh, shut up! This time this is a good one. We have a job to do and a year of recovery and sickness and doing almost nothing has done a number on us. We need to pick up the pieces, start where we left off. I sent our Assassin recruits away to do some recruiting of their own while we start here on the homestead building up the place for new novices. We must teach them the ways of the creed and rebuild the Brotherhood that was once here."

"Sounds like a lot of work," Connor notes.

"Indeed," I say. "But it's gonna be all worth it."

"Where do we start?" Haytham asks.

"Well, first, we're gonna take a little trip," I say with a smile. "It'll be about a day's journey."

"To where?" Connor asks me.

"You'll see."

I lead the two boys who complain most of the way about how they don't know where we're going or anything. I love having the upper hand.

Once it gets darker, I order Haytham to collect some firewood and Connor to hunt for some dinner. I find a nice place near the river to set up camp while I make the men work.

"I found some dinner," Connor suddenly emerges from the bushes with three dead rabbits hanging by their feet in his curled fist.

"Yes!" I say happily. "I love me some rabbit."

"I found some firewood," Haytham calls to us as he pushes his way through the trees carrying a bundle of small sticks in his arms.

I bust out laughing until my side is extra sore. Connor starts too as he tries to hide his smile with his hand that is not holding three dead rabbits. I slowly walk up to Haytham after my laughing fit is over and I place my hands on the wood in his arms.

"Haytham, darling, this is what we call kindling." I pat the wood. "Now how about you go find some larger sticks and we'll go from there."

Haytham rolls his eyes as he grumbles as he drops the sticks and turns away to find some more wood. I stifle my laughs till I know he's out of earshot.

...

"Where are we going, Riley?" Connor complains again for the sixth time since we left camp earlier in the morning. It's high noon and all of us are sick and tired at the sight of one another.

"A place," I reply again, for the sixth time with sarcasm and annoyance dripping from my tone.

"Are we almost there?" Haytham asks me as he trudges up the huge hill beside me.

I sigh and groan in annoyance. "You two sound like little complaining children! We will be there soon."

"What is that over there?" Connor points to a cluster of houses in the distance with a line of smoke rising from the center of the camp. The three of us stop walking to look at the campsite. "Is that..."

"It sure is," I say to Connor with a smile. Without another word, Connor takes off down the hill towards the Mohawk village leaving us behind. "Connor! Wait!"

Haytham and I take off after Connor at full speed towards the village. "Is this the Mohawk village?" Haytham asks me as we run.

"Yeah," I answer, breathless. "There's someone who would like to see you." I pump my arms a little harder and catch up to Connor before he can enter the village.

"How did you find this place?" Connor asks me as we hide in the bushes waiting for Haytham and obverve the Mohwak tribe.

"My dreams," I reply. Then we see her. I gasp as I grab Connor's arm. "She's there," I whisper as I point to Ziio who is holding a bundle of small twigs in her arms as she walks towards the large fire. Her face is downcast and most of the beautiful youth she had when we last saw her has begun to vanish. She is sad. She misses us deeply.

"What are we looking at?" Haytham asks when he finally catches his breath and crouches down beside me. "Whoa," he whispers when he sees Ziio. "Is that..."

I smile. "It sure is."

"She's beautiful," Haytham whispers softly as he smiles at the sight of the Mohawk woman he fell in love with all those years ago when she kissed him in a cave.

The three of us slowly rise from where we stand and enter the camp still unnoticed by the others.

Connor slowly walks over to Ziio as he pulls down his hood. I see the light in his eyes and the smile I rarely get out of him form on his face as he reaches out and lightly taps her shoulder. Ziio jumps slightly at the touch as she turns around. Her face too, lights up at the sight of her son and she drops the sticks she carries and throws her arms around her son's neck.

"Itsa," Connor mutters to her as Ziio cries into his arms. I find myself tearing up at the sight. Damn, I miss my family.

"Wow," Haytham says quietly beside me as I smile and pull down my hood.

When the two of them finally release, Ziio looks over her tall son and smiles with tears in her eyes. Haytham and I emerge from the bushes. Ziio sees me first and runs over me and throws her arms around me like my mother would.

"Hey, Ziio," I whisper as I feel tears slipping from my eyes.

"Hello, Riley," Ziio says back as she release me and looks me over. But then she sees Haytham.

Haytham is standing in the background sort of out of place in his blue coat and fancy hat as he sort of observes us all.

Ziio looks at me. "Is that..."

I smile and nod. "He missed you too, Ziio," I whisper.

Ziio turns away from me and slowly walks towards Haytham who is just standing there like an idiot too shocked to say anything. Ziio looks up at Haytham with hopeful eyes. "Haytham," she whispers just as Haytham is pulling her into his large arms. She doesn't fight him as she begins to cry into his arms and reach up to hold his face and kiss him passionately in front of her whole village. She finally realizes that in this moment, she truly missed him too.

I find myself standing alone trying not to cry as Connor walks towards Haytham and Ziio. They embrace him into their arms. Connor puts arms over both of their shoulders and the two of them pull their arms around his waist together. The tears roll down my cheeks as I smile at the sight of the family not meant to be happy. But now here they stand together in one another's embrace alive and happy.

Haytham looks up over Connor's shoulder and beckons me to come over to be with them. I don't hide the little girl inside me that comes out and takes off running towards them so I can have a family too. I find myself in facing Connor with Haytham's and Ziio's arms around me. I hug the three of them as I cry into Connor's chest so happy that everything worked out.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

But it did.

I finally got what I have been searching for. I realize in this moment that Juno didn't send me here to find someone, she sent me here to find Connor so I could restore something he lost. And I did it. I finished our story.

It is in moments like these that I am happy to say that I things couldn't have been more perfect. I am so glad I was dumped here.


	13. Chapter 13

_Another Mission, an Old Pirate, and a Another Freaking Fake Broken Fort_

I squint and groan as the bright sunshine of the morning spills through my bedroom window. I throw the blankets back over my head and snuggle deeper into the sheets and try to close my eyes and go back to sleep. But I know it's not going to happen.

I yawn as I stretch and slowly sit up. I look around the room again and quickly forget that I'm not in my room anymore, I'm in Connor's. Since we got back from his village, I've let Haytham and Ziio take my bedroom and I stay with Connor. It's nice that everyone is actually getting along.

With a loud and long yawn, I bring my arms up over my head and stretch out my tired muscles. I throw the large blankets off my legs and slowly slip off of the soft bed and rest my feet on the cool wooden floor in Connor's room. Or _our_ room. I grin at my thoughts and blush lightly for a moment.

I cross the room and lazily walk towards the bathroom where I can look at myself in the mirror. There's not much I can do for my puffy hair except brush it down and throw it into a long braid down my shoulder. I skip the robes and loosely tie the laces on my left hidden blade to strap on top of my old blue sweater.

I'm not quite sure where Connor's gotten off to, but I'm sure I'll find him sitting in a tree or hunting or hanging out by the Aquila. He's been doing that a lot lately. I can tell he misses sailing. I do too.

The morning air is surprisingly cool for a summer day. Although, it's not hated. I left Ziio and Haytham back at the manor on their own who are still probably sleeping. I keep my arms close to my body as I walk in my black flats along the dirt road towards the docks. My mind begins to wander as I listen to the sounds of the morning. Something that's been nagging at the back of my mind for the last few months is something that I should've just left alone. Benedict Arnold. Yeah, I know I should just forget about him getting away, but I just can't. It's wasn't fair. Washington gave up. I am not going to.

I quickly push those thoughts aside as I make my way towards the docks. I can see the glistening white sails and tall masts of the Aquila through the openings in the trees. I smile to myself at the sight of the beautiful ship.

"...I doubt you'll find anything, but let me know if ya do!"

I see Connor talking to Peg Leg, the old dude who sits on the barrel with one leg who always asks us to get stuff for him when we go into the woods or Boston or New York. And this morning, he's harassing my man.

"I am sure we will come back with something," Connor says to Peg Leg as I approach the two of them.

"What's all this about finding something?" I ask the two boys.

"Captain Kidd's treasure of course," Peg Leg says to me.

"Oh... right," I say slowly. "Well, I suppose we should start looking, then."

"I agree," Connor says turning to me. Then he puts on his puppy dog face. "A trip out to sea?"

I put my hands on my hips and look up at him while twisting my face just to bother him. "Alright, let's do it," I finally say. Connor smiles down at me happily. "I could use some action."

...

"Fort doesn't look as abandoned as it should. Looks occupied as can be." Mister Faulkner rows our small long boat towards the rocks as he speaks more to himself than to us.

Connor and I well, really just Connor stand fully armed and robed inside the long boat while I sit on my lazy butt looking out to the freaking fake abandoned fort. I can tell this will be hard. We left Haytham and Ziio to themselves for a couple of days on the homestead while we take care of business here on the seas and out towards Rhode Island.

I slowly stand up and look out to the fort as we near the rocks where Connor and I are on our own when it comes to getting up there.

Connor narrows his eyes at the fort as he thinks for a moment. "We will need something to draw their attention, then. Once you lose sight of us, wait for ten minutes then bombard the fort. We will slip out under cover of the shelling." The two of us slowly pull up our hoods and prepare for some climbing.

"Aye aye, captains," Faulkner agrees. "Sounds a trifle dangerous but I'm sure two are up to it. I doubt they let convicted pirates like ol' Lucky Lem out of his cell much, so if his little scroll is anywhere– it's there."

Connor quickly leaps out of the long boat and out to the nearest rock formation without saying anything else.

"Thanks, Faulkner," I say as I watch Connor move swiftly up the side of the cliff before following.

"Good luck, Riley," He says to me as I'm jumping up to the nearest handhold in the cliff.

"Form ranks! Present arms! Position one! Position two! Move!" The two of us listen to some captain or some officer giving orders to the platoon of soldiers as we climb. Connor is farther ahead of me which is surprising since I've had more time to recover from my wounds since I woke up than him. But I know he's hurting.

"AHHH!"

I shriek when I hear the blood curling scream and see the flash of red as a soldier goes falling down to the ocean below that I'm sure Connor just disposed of. Damn, that boy really knows how to freak me out.

"God dang, Connor," I complain after making it to the top of the cliff where Connor pulls me up and onto the platform where the redcoat was standing guard. "You nearly gave me a heart attack down there."

Connor tries to hide his grin as he shrugs. "I had to get rid of him somehow.

I grin and roll my eyes. "It sure is a good thing I love you."

The two of us look down and out to the interior of the fort a moment to watch the men fire at dummies or form lines to practice marching with their muskets. This place is depressing. Then we look to the zip line that leads into a building within the fort.

"We need to get into there since we'll have to circle around to avoid the courtyard." I say quietly to Connor as I point to the slightly ajar windows connected to the zip line.

Connor nods and moves to pull out his tomahawk and safely hook it to the rope. Before he jumps, he reaches out behind him and hooks his arms around my waist. "Ready?" He asks me with a devilish grin on his face that I haven't seen in so long.

"I'm always ready," I say with a grin.

With that, he jumps down and the two of us zip line down together but we're too heavy and instead of sticking the landing when Connor uses his feet to bust open the window, we topple on top of one another like children. Connor who thankfully still has his arm around me, secures me to his body so as we roll into a pile of crates, I find myself resting on the firm chest. Then we both begin to laugh. They're true and genuine laughs that neither one of us have heard from one another in a long time. Pure happiness doesn't come from us too often.

"What was that?" Connor and I instantly freeze in place before Connor throws his hand over my mouth and tightens his arm across my waist as he moves us farther behind the wooden crates we fell on at the sound of the soldier's voice. "Probably a gull or a rat... the only intruders we get here anyway," the soldier scoffs. "Preposterous. Send me across the ocean to play sentry on some meaningless isle. This is my last tour for a certainty. When I see the Captain I'll look him directly in the eyes and say 'Sir! I am going home. I have had enough of these nonsense assignments.'"

The two of us peek over the crates for a moment as the guard is turning his back to us during his monologue.

"Dispose of him," Connor breathes quietly to me.

I grin. "With pleasure," I mutter. "He ruined our moment."

Slowly getting up off of Connor's warm chest, I rise to my feet and slowly walk towards the guard as he mumbles unkind words about his captain to himself. I decide to just make his death quick and easy, so I firmly grip his left shoulder and drive my right hidden blade up his rib cage to penetrate his lung deeply along with his heart.

He quietly gurgles out in his own blood and crumbles to the ground as I walk away from his dead body and towards the railings of some weird supply room down below. I slowly prop myself up on the rail and get ready to jump to the wood braces that are within the interior of the room.

Connor suddenly appears beside me and doesn't take too long to jump across the short distance to hang down from one of the braces. He grunts lightly as he hoists himself up to stand up on the wood. I quickly follow him until he dives down to drive his tomahawk into the back of the lonely unsuspecting guard below us I didn't even see.

"Nice work," I say with a grin as I land swiftly on my feet beside Connor.

Connor grins and shrugs lightly. "I try."

The two of us walk through a doorway into another room that is surprisingly hot. I can see fire and lots of hot metals where I can assume that is the place where they make the weapons and ammo.

"Damn, it's hot," I mutter.

"Who would ever attack this fort, I ask you?" A redcoat's voice rings through the open room I suppose to another person we can't see as Connor and I hide behind a wall of wood. "Nobody. No reason to. They sent us here cause the captain did something wrong."

"Like what?" a second redcoat asks.

"Buggered if I know," the first guy snaps back. I can see the first guard is keeping watch above on some platforms on the farther side of the room. His buddy is down below next to the heat where I know he must be uncomfortable.

"I wager he buggered something..." a third voice rings out.

"Come off it," the first dude snaps at the two other men. "And keep watch."

"Yah, yah," the second says sarcastically.

"I'll take the dude up top if you got the guys down here?" I quietly ask Connor as we hide together behind a stack of crates listening to this stupid conversation.

"I can handle that," Connor whispers back.

We separate and I take off with a running start to jump up and grab the ledge of the railings on the opposite side of the room. As I shimmy across, I have to be careful not to be noticed by the two other guards Connor should be taking care of.

"Shit!" I whisper as my hand slips and the guard above me noticed.

"Hey!" He shouts down to me. "You-"

I panic as I a quickly reach up and drive my hidden blade deeply into his thigh and wrench his unbalanced body downwards and hear a painful crack when he breaks his neck.

I cringe in pain for him before I slowly and painfully hoist myself up and onto the platform."Riley, up here!"

Turning around, I see Connor hanging from the weird metal things hung from the ceiling by heavy chains.

"Coming!" I call to him as I take a running start to jump through the air and quickly grip the rim of the metal… thingy. I follow Connor into this main meeting room where there are suddenly loud voices and shouts heard.

"Double time! We'll get the whip if we're late for the captain's address!" A soldier calls followed by the pounding of boots on the hard ground.

"I'm hurryin'! I'm hurryin'!" Another voice snaps at the first.

Connor and I follow the voice down the long hallway as we stay above them on the braces within the ceiling of the room. Staying ahead of Connor, I get a better view of the meeting. All the redcoat soldiers have gathered around a long table which takes up most of the room in the hall and are all talking among themselves until the head of the fort silences them.

"SILENCE!" He shouts until they are all silenced. He takes a straggled breath before continuing with his nagging speech to his men. "Not a day passes without me overhearing you lot complaining of this assignment. 'The fort is meaningless; command is punishing the Captain for what happened in Poland.' I have had enough! We are here – under orders, I need not remind you – to hold Fort Wolcott against the rebels at all costs." While this dude is speaking, Connor and I are slowly making our way along the narrow boards of wood that hold the chandeliers in place below us. I make a step to the right too far and find myself falling down towards the meeting. I bite back screaming as I suddenly feel a firm hand grip my arms as my legs dangle over the edge while I hang from the wood board by Connor's quick reflexes. I thank him before we move on to get to the other side quicker. " And that is all that need concern you. You are not trained to comment on strategy nor are you aware of rebel movements. So put a stop to it! The next man I hear questioning the validity of our post will receive 10 lashes and 7 days in the old dungeon– without rations. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir!"

"Yes sir!"

The soldiers respond quickly as the captain continues to rant at the men.

"Check the dirt-sheet for duties and details for the coming week. B Company will be in drills and without rum rations until they properly execute formations two and three. Such sloppy marching will not be tolerated."

"Yes sir!"

"Yes sir!"

Connor and I quickly exit the meeting room, unseen and find ourselves in what looks like the sleeping quarters for the soldiers. Row after row of bunk beds line the room. It's incredibly crammed and uncomfortable.

"That lurcher is out of his head," Another guard's voice is heard through the other window the two of us will need to exit. "Who would do that to a man? That's why you don't let soldiers get bored."

I follow behind Connor as he jumps through the window and hangs from the railings on the opposite building. We dispose of the guard and finally get to where we need to be, the jail. And of course, it's crawling with soldiers.

Connor and I hide behind the wall closest to the doorway we came from as we listen to the soldiers talk to one another.

"Jackanape deserved everything he got. Won't tolerate such behavior. Let that be a lesson to the rest of you."

"He didn't mean anything by what he said," a second voice protested.

"You getting soft?" the first guard questions his comrade.

"I just don't think it's right.," the second officer says slowly.

"I'll take care of the two guards down there if you've got this dude up here?" I whisper to Connor.

"Sounds like a plan," Connor whispers back.

I peek over the side of the wall and wait for the first guard on the upper level to turn around before I take a running start to jump over the railings and land silently on the ground behind the other unsuspecting guards.

Connor silently disposes of the guard above me just as I'm driving my two hidden blades into the necks of the guards leaning over some maps and graphs on a table.

"Finally," I say as I push red and blue strands of hair from my eyes. "That was tough." Connor chuckles at me as he jumps down from the upper level down to the ground beside me. "Now all we have to do is find that stupid scroll."

The two of us begin to search the dungeon quietly until I wander into a random cell and see the remains of a body and a small box half buried into some sand in the corner of the cell.

"Found something," I say to Connor as I bend down and slowly open the box to pull out the small slip of faded paper. Connor looks over my shoulder as I slowly read the words written on the other side of the small section of a map. "It lies under the eagle's bed.' Wonder what it means," I say as I look up at Connor while pocketing the slip of paper.

"We will figure it out," Connor says with a grin. "But now we need to get out of here."

"Agreed," I say before the two of us exit the small cell and walk towards the large doors of leave the dungeon.

Suddenly, the doors burst open and a group of soldiers come running in with their muskets pointed at us.

"Let's see what you got, rebels," one of them snarls at us.

Connor pulls out his tomahawk as I unsheathe my sword.

"Bring it," I snarl back. I could use a good fight.

I don't know exactly what happens after that. I remember being blasted backwards and my head hitting something hard and the ground coming under my body at and a painful stab from my stomach follows. There's this ringing in my ears that won't go away and when I open my eyes, all I see is fire and a blurry figure above me.

"Riley! RILEY!" It's Connor, thank the holy Lord. "Come on, get up." he grabs my hand and slowly pulls me to my feet. "Come on, we need to get out of here!"

Connor pulls me along through the fire and debris of the fort until I can come to my senses. I release Connor's hand a run with him through the fort as we hear the screams from the other guards. The Aquila has fired on Fort Wolcott.

"We're under attack!"

"Captain's dead! Cut down by cannon shot!"

"Rouse B Company! To the battlements!"

The two of us climb up and jump up to another platform and fin ourselves on the upper area of the fort. We can see the Aquila firing cannons our way.

"Oh, God!" I say quickly as Connor and I see the soldier who is on fire screaming in pain as he staggers around in his burning clothes. We need to be careful not to end up like him.

"Move to the west wall!" A soldier barks orders to the others as Connor and I try our best to avoid any conflict with anybody at all.

"Bloody hell, where'd they come from?!"

"To the armory!"

"Who's in command?!"

I shriek as the ground beneath Connor and me is crumbling and we are tumbling into the lower section of the fort.

"Form up! Form up!"

We find ourselves surrounded by guards who don't even seem surprised to see us. I rip out my sword again and Connor pulls out his tomahawk and leaps forwards to drive it into the chest of a redcoat as I am stabbing my sword through the stomach of another.

I quickly roll out of the way of a huge axe that could have been driven through my skull by a funny looking redcoat with a green kilt. Connor finishes off the guard beside him as I jump back up and bury my hidden blades into the guard's neck and stomach.

"Nice work," I say a bit breathless.

"You too," Connor says to me.

But the two of us don't have time to rest. The large doors to our right are being pushed open by more guards who are ready to kill us.

"Rebels! Bring them down!" One of them shouts.

Thinking fast, Connor grabs me just as the door is exploding open so instead of being knocked unconscious, we land safely away from the blow and recover quickly.

"We need to move, NOW!" Connor shouts to me as he grabs my hand and pulls me towards the blasted doors.

We climb quickly back up to the upper level avoiding any serious burn from the charred wood as we run. Connor pushes me ahead of him as the two of us climb through a small entryway. It all seems to happen in slow motion as the side of the fort are exploding around me as I am jumping and diving down into the waters below and out of harm.

I come up out of the water fast and suck in as much air as my lungs will take. Looking around, I see no signs of Connor and quickly begin to panic.

"Connor!" I cry as I look above me to the collapsing fort and below to only see pitch black water that I wouldn't be able to see under. "CONNOR!" The tears begin to roll down my cheeks as I realize why he pushed me through first.

Suddenly, the air bubbles appear beside me as Connor is rising up from the water and sucking in air as he breathes heavily.

"Oh my god, Connor!" I shout as I throw my arms around his neck and hug him tightly in the water. "You're okay." Connor says nothing as he tries to catch his breath again while he hold me in his arms beneath the water. Too excited to control myself, I hold his face him my hands and kiss him on the lips tasting the salty water and sweat from our run and fall.

The two of us slowly swim back to the Aquila mostly unharmed from the experience. But we'll both need some time to recover ourselves from this impact of fighting again.

"You're late, captains," Faulkner says to us as he pulls me onto the Aquila first.

"Those occupying the fort were less than thrilled by my presence," I chuckle as he's helping Connor up.

"And?" Faulkner asks me.

"And what?' I ask trying not to laugh or show that I'm messing with him.

"The damned scroll ya muckworm!" he says to me. "Was it there?"

I laugh. "That it was, Mister Faulkner." Then I turn to grab Connor's arm. "Now, if you gentlemen would excuse us, we are going to find some dry clothes and retire for the evening."

Faulkner grins and nods to me before I drag Connor and his silent self away from the crew and down towards our cabin. I could use some alone time and some warm clothes.


	14. Chapter 14

_A Stupid Scavenger, Another Little Piece of Paper, and Some Girl Time_

"So how is it that you came to meet Haytham, Ziio?"

"Well, he actually rescued me and several other members from my village when we were held captive by the British and later perused me so that I would be able to help him find something only our village can find," Ziio replies casually while she sits behind me and braids my long pale blond and rainbow hair down my back as she talks to Ellen, Prudence, Corrine, and I by the river.

I smile as I take in the view of the Homestead and the people around me. I've needed some girl time now days. There's too many guys around me all the time. God, it can be annoying sometimes. So we sent them away to do some work with Big Dave and Terry and Godfrey around this place. It could use some cleaning up. The girls and I are having a nice quiet afternoon by the river washing clothes and just talking. It's been so hard on all of us these last few months, I think we all need the peace and each other.

"So what about you, Riley?" Ellen asks looking over at me. "You never told us how you came to meet Connor and come here."

I grin as I look back at the first moment I met Connor in Boston three years ago when he saved my life and thought I was crazy from the start. "We met in Boston when these redcoats thought they could put up a fight against me."

Ziio chuckles behind me. "You two always seem to find trouble when you're together."

I smile as I look at the women around me as they talk with one another and laugh like family. But these people are my family, they took me in.

"Riley!"

I turn my head slightly to not damage the braid Ziio is making but just enough to see Connor walking towards us in his Assassin robes and weapons strapped to his body like we're about to go somewhere.

"What's up, Ponytail?" I ask while looking up at him when he blocks the sun with his big head.

"Gear up," he says down to me. "We are going to a ship graveyard."

I groan just as Ziio is finishing my braid and I can throw my head back and complain. "Why?" I whine. "We got back like yesterday from the fort."

"That was almost a week ago," Connor chuckles.

"Oh," I mumble as the other women giggle around me. I turn around to look at Ziio. "Think you and Haytham can hold down the homestead without us for a few days?"

Ziio smiles at me. "You can count on it."

...

"Ship graveyard's just around the point. Can't miss it," Mister Faulkner says to us as he rows our little long boat towards the cliffs of this abandoned island. "The men say Abel Owens was aboard one of the doomed vessels. It it's true, you'll find what's left of him here. Scavengers love the graveyard! So be on your guard!"

"Aye, aye," I say as I pull up my hood before following a very eager Connor onto the rocky shore.

"If Abel Owens' ship wrecked around here, they must have been looking for something themselves," Connor says to me as I follow him up the steep cliff side.

"Yeah, but if they found it and didn't get off the island, then we may have a problem," I call up to him.

"I agree," Connor says. "If that is the case, then we will need to be careful."

"When am I not careful." I scoff as Connor is helping me up the ledge of the cliff and I begin walking down the path towards the ships.

"You nearly fell onto the dinner table surrounded by guards in Fort Wolcott," Connor calls to me as he follows.

"That was a mere accident," I laugh. "And besides, I'm always watching out for-"

"Riley!" Connor quickly grabs my arm to keep me from falling down into the rocks and water below when the ground beneath me crumbles.

"Traps," I mutter.

"Right, always careful," Connor chuckles.

I laugh too as I look at him with a blush creeping up my face. I smile before reaching up on my tiptoes to plant a small kiss on Connor's warm lips.

Connor smiles down at me before leaning in to kiss me for real this time when I notice him look up and his face grow serious. "Another ship," he mutters. I turn around to look out to the remains of ships in the graveyard to see men walking around with guns and long coats. "Scavengers."

"Just great," I mutter. "This just got a whole lot harder."

Connor leaves my side and takes a running start to land on the wood of an old ship closest to us. I roll my eyes, there's a much easier way to approach this.

"Idiot," I mutter as I follow his suit and land on the wood beside him as he's yelling to a man who is digging around in a crate on the opposite side of the ship we stand on.

"Put that down," Connor says firmly to the man.

"Piss off!" the man scoffs at him. "I found it! 'Tis mine!" With that, he takes off.

Connor and I follow as he yells to the scavenger, "STOP!"

"Your running is pointless," I call to the man as I follow him swiftly jumping from the posts and wood braces right on his tail.

"Leave me be!" The scavenger cries as we chase him through the graveyard. "I found it!"

"What you carry is ours!" Connor snarls as he runs on foot through the ships.

"I would listen to him if I were you," I call to the stupid scavenger again as I stay above the two men.

From above Connor, I watch the scavenger use a chase breaker or let several remains of barrels and broken bits of ship stop Connor in his pursuit.

"Nice try!" the scavenger laughs.

"Not that easy to stop him," I shout back as Connor shoves aside two of the scavenger's guards.

"It's not yours! Leave me alone!" The man cries again as he ducks under the cover of the ships. "Why are you two chasing me! I've done nothing wrong!"

I swiftly run up the side of a ship mast that has fallen on its side as I run beside the man. I wanna give this kill to Connor, anyways.

"Stop and give us what we came for!" Connor yells as he gets almost close enough to snag the man's coat that is just out of his reach.

"Ha ha! What's mine is mine!" the man shouts back. "Rantipole!"

"Come on, dude!" I shout. "Just make your life easy and hand it over!"

"Sorry mate! Looks like you lost this treasure hunt!" the scavenger cackles as he disappears into one of the caves.

"Shit," I mutter to myself as I follow Connor up a tall mast which is all of the sudden, crumbling under our weight.

"Damn," Connor says quickly before he suddenly grabs me in his strong arms as we go tumbling into the side of the cliff near the cave.

He quickly gets up and I follow him into the dark cave as we hear the man's voice echoing in the cave, "Fellas! Some hector and little kid in hoods' chasin' me!"

"We'll deal with 'em," one of his friends says.

Connor comes charging into the cave and rips his tomahawk from his side and drives it into the head of one of the men. I rip out my own sword and jump into the action as I drive my sword through the stomach and my hidden blade through the head of a mercenary with shocked eyes by the fact that I'm a girl.

The two of us finish off the remaining guards without trouble before I push sweat from my forehead and wipe away blood from my sword.

"'Near the wolf's abode,'" Connor mutters as he is crouching down over the scavenger's dead body with another little piece of paper in his hands.

"Great," I mutter as I let out a long breath of air. "Now, can we please get out of here?"

Connor looks over his shoulder at me with a grin. "Ready, to get back."

I nod with a small smile. "I miss my warm bed."

He laughs at my comment as he takes my hand and the two of us slowly walk out of the cave back towards the Aquila.

...

"Did ya find it?" Faulkner asks us after we are both back aboard the Aquila.

"Yep," I say happily. "Now, please, let's go home."

"We cannot do that just yet," Connor says to me.

"Why is that?" I ask with a puzzled look as I turn around to face him.

"We still have two more pieces of the map to collect," he says with a grin.

"Really?" I ask as my shoulders sag a bit. "Wonderful..."

"Set a course for the Northwest Passage."


End file.
